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First preview arrives today with ‘Let’s Go Fishing’; fans can preorder 10-track set now
Press Release
As a multi-Platinum artist known for blazing creative trails, Aaron Lewis has never been afraid to stand on conviction. With a catalog of soul-baring hits, he’s never been one to hide behind his lyrics, either. And with his new album “The Hill,” due March 29 via The Valory Music Co., the North-Country native is unfiltered – and unplugged – in a way that leaves no room for doubt. A deeply personal set written from a lifetime of highs and lows, it pairs Lewis’ iconic vocal rasp with a bare-bones acoustic sound, a reflective mindset and little else, as a confessional hitmaker chooses the hill where he’ll make his stand.
“Music has always been my escape, my way of expressing the things that I don’t express very well in life,” Lewis explained. “I’m coming up on 52 years old, and I’m on the hill I’m going to stand on. Nobody’s going to change me now. This record is a snapshot of my life and how I’m feeling and where my head is at – and that’s what my records have always been.”
Featuring 10 tracks penned solo or with a tight circle of collaborator/confidants, the set speaks to a time of upheaval – both in the wider world and within. Pledging to shoot his fans straight, Lewis offers up a 50-50 mix of riding out the winds of change and driving another mineshaft deep into his soul. Like his 2022 collection, “Frayed At Both Ends,” Lewis delivers “The Hill” as an acoustic record, maximizing the potential for lyrical impact. Produced by Lewis alongside Ira Dean, it’s raw in the purest sense of the country-rock term – often backing his jagged-edge vocal with just a guitar, dobro and mandolin.
“It’s another record that’s just really stripped down to the guts,” Lewis explained. “I like raw. I like life’s imperfections showing through. I’m not perfect, nobody is. And I don’t want the music I’m putting out to be either.”
Right from the opening track, those guts take center stage. An upbeat track that’s “very much not about going fishing,” “Let’s Go Fishing” finds Lewis calling out the nation’s problems – but deciding to leave them for another day. Co-written with Bobby Pinson, a mix of fed-up frustration and organic-country comfort creates an intriguing contrast – a lightly coded protest anthem with a let-it-be theme.
“I find the whole thing tongue-in-cheek,” Lewis admitted.
Watch the “Let’s Go Fishing” lyric video.
The Vermont-born powerhouse first found success with Staind – the 2000s-era hard rockers who injected meditative muscle into an era better known for mindless aggression. But while that band is still very much alive, it was never enough to satisfy Lewis’ creative drive.
Embracing his roots to earn a rare second round of success, a series of solo country projects have led to two No. 1 Billboard country album debuts – “Town Line” (2011) and “Sinner” (2016) – plus a Platinum collab with heroes George Jones and Charlie Daniels (“Country Boy”), and a Gold-certified Billboard No. 1 with “Am I The Only One” in 2021. Lewis’ 2022 solo album followed suit, with “Frayed At Both Ends” emerging as the best-selling country album in America – but he never wrote songs for the stats. No matter the sonic setting, Lewis writes and sings to get his truth out, and “The Hill” is no different.
“Somebody’s got to live this $hit, and these songs, they’re me,” Lewis said. “I really don't feel like I’m alone in my feelings – I’m just more willing to open up my mouth.”
For a full list of upcoming tour dates and more, visit: AaronLewisMusic.com.