American Aquarium with River Shook

For nearly twenty years American Aquarium has pursued that uncommon kind of rock-and-roll that speaks truthfully in every way. For us the ideal moment is when you shout along to each lyric, and it isnt until 3am that you understand those words are saying something genuine about your own life, says frontman BJ Barham. That was how we fell in love with music initially, and that remains our aim in all we create. On their latest album The Fear of Standing Still the North Carolina-based group embodies this energy, blending their rough country-rock sound with Barhams most daring and piercing songwriting yet. In live performances the band moves like a freight train without stopping, and for this record I truly wanted to demonstrate how large and anthemic we can become, notes Barham whose members include guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet, and bassist Alden Hedges.