AWOLNATION Still The 'Underdog' On Next Album

'There's a little chip on my shoulder,' frontman Aaron Bruno tells MTV News of writing the follow-up to the band's Megalithic Symphony.
By James Montgomery

AWOLNATION's Aaron Bruno
Photo: MTV News

AWOLNATION's Aaron Bruno already knows how he wants the follow-up to his band's breakout (and epically titled) Megalithic Symphony album to sound. The key now is finding the time to actually write it.

"I think the next record will be a little more raw, and a little more aggro, and a little stranger, but still have the nursery-rhyme feel of melody, because that's the only way I know how to write," he told MTV News. "I'm working on it now [while the band is on tour] and, really, it's the only thing keeping me sane. Every day I wake up, and I'm so excited to first of all find a shower, and then have a coffee, and then do a couple of other things that I probably can't mention, and then open up the computer and just see what happens. ... It's a nice break from the routine [of] playing the same old songs, meeting the same people, waking up at the same venues, same parking lots across the country."

Yes, such is life for AWOLNATION, who went from relative unknowns to rock-radio monsters based on a relentless tour schedule and the strength of hit singles "Sail" and "Not Your Fault." Since bursting onto the radar, Bruno has seemingly spent every waking minute on the road, and it doesn't look like that will change much anytime soon (AWOL are currently touring until the end of July). So needless to say, he's itching to break the cycle and get into the studio to begin work on the new album. And no, he's not about to shy away from the expectations that come with following a hit album.

"I got a little chip on my shoulder with the songwriting and I've got a lot to say about the world, so there's a little bit of a fist on this new record that I'm excited about," he said. "I've always been the underdog my whole life, and the guys in my band, we all came up in the same situation, so this success is totally new and foreign for us, so I want to maintain the hunger of being the underdog and never feel complacent with the success and always want to reach more ears. Not necessarily to make money, but because I feel the music's important."

And while Bruno's relishing the opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong, he's also trying to stop and appreciate just how far his band has come. Of course, given his nature, that's proving to be easier said than done.

"All of this seems like a joke to me. It doesn't seem real. I wake up every day and I have to remind myself ... this is really happening, it's OK to enjoy it," he laughed. "But I've had a hard time doing that because I'm constantly focused on the next thing."

Are you looking forward to new music from AWOLNation? Let us know in the comments!

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