Awolnation

Awolnation Artistfacts

  • 2009-
    Aaron BrunoLead vocals
    Christopher ThornGuitar2010-2012
    Hayden ScottDrums2010-2013
    Kenny CarkeetGuitar, keys, vocals2009-2016
    David AmezcuaBass, vocals2010-2013
    Isaac CarpenterDrums2013-
    Marc WallochBass2014-
    Zach IronsGuitar2015-
    Daniel SaslowKeyboard2016-
  • The band name is a reference to the military term "AWOL," meaning "Absent Without Leave." Lead singer Aaron Bruno earned that nickname in high school because he would vanish from parties and other gatherings without saying goodbye. When he dabbled in freestyle rapping, he used the name "AWOL," and when he formed the band, he named it Awolnation.
  • Although the group is considered a hard rock band, singer Aaron Bruno says he listens to all different kinds of music, including country, pop, and hip-hop. The first album he bought was a cassette version of Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell. He's also a huge fan of Led Zeppelin because of Jon Bonham's drumming.
  • Awolnation had a big hit with their first single, "Sail," in 2011. They were so happy with their success that they gave their fans a free Christmas EP that year to say "thank you." The 6-song Holiday EP features live favorites and unreleased tracks, including "MF."
  • Christopher Thorn, who was Awolnation's lead guitarist on their first album (the one with "Sail") is a founding member of the band Blind Melon, which regrouped from time following the death of lead singer Shannon Hoon in 1995.
  • Bruno named the band's first full-length album Megalithic Symphony because of the way the group of songs on the record came together. He told The Aquarian Weekly that he was studying megalithic structures like the pyramids and Stonehenge when the album was recorded and that like the structures, the songs "were the best I had to offer but they came together in many different ways."
  • In 2011, drummer Hayden Scott told Modern Drummer magazine that his goal in the band's live shows is to keep people dancing. According to Scott, drum prodigy Tony Royster Jr. played drums on the recorded version of the Awolnation song "Soul Wars," which makes the track fun but tricky to play live.
  • Awolnation was the most successful act on Red Bull Records, which launched in 2007. Red Bull got heavily involved with music, gaming and sports over the next decade or so, and for a while they had a series of workshops under the name Red Bull Music Academy. The label shut down in 2025 but Awolnation left in 2019 to join Better Noise Music, home to Five Finger Death Punch and Asking Alexandria.
  • Aaron Bruno loves to surf, and at the 2011 Austin City Limits festival, he brought new meaning to the term "crowd surfing" by using a boogie board to ride on top of the crowd during "Sail."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."