Today the story of Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties continues to unfold with “Just Sign The Papers”, an earnest and crushing vignette of the moments before Aaron’s divorce is finalized. You can listen to the song here.
Created by Dan Campbell, best known as the vocalist of Philadelphia band The Wonder Years, Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties is as much a band as it is a story. The band plays Americana, sometimes with 6 or 8 or 10 people – a horn section, banjo, lap steel, strings and more – and sometimes as one man with an acoustic guitar and his voice. The story follows a man named Aaron who, after a series of devastating losses, wanders the country looking for purpose, direction, and redemption.
“Just Sign The Papers” finds Aaron adjusting to a new reality where he is now irrevocably alone, but fondly appreciating what he and his ex shared. “She drug him through a lot of lows in his life”, Campbell explains. “Now, instead of being angry that she no longer has the energy to keep pulling, he appreciates that she ever did”.
Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties’ forthcoming album "Routine Maintenance" comes out May 10th and is available to pre-order now. Formed in 2013, Campbell has continuously added layer after layer to the Aaron West universe, ensuring that every show and milestone is factored into the bigger picture and creating a story so meticulously crafted that it's easy to forget it's a story at all.
Major life changes for the multi-faceted young artist may have had something to do with that. Just last year, after over a decade, The Wonder Years celebrated their biggest record yet with the transformative "Sister Cities", garnering billboards high atop the Philly skyline and unprecedented high critical praise from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR Music, Billboard and more. Plus, Campbell recently became a first-time father, giving him a new perspective on life that has undoubtedly affected Aaron’s journey across "Routine Maintenance".
To bring Aaron’s story to life even further, "Routine Maintenance" finds itself firmly rooted in rock and roll, with fragmented pieces of punk and country and troubadour-style singer-songwriter music throughout. Campbell draws as much influence from Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell as he does Rilo Kiley and The Weakerthans. Some nights, it's somber and intimate. Other nights, it's loud, bombastic and joyous.
One thing is for sure – what Campbell has created with Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties on "Routine Maintenance" is among some of his strongest work yet.
Routine Maintenance" Tracklist:
1. Lead Paint & Salt Air
2. Just Sign the Papers
3. Bloodied Up in a Bar Fight
4. Bury Me Anywhere Else
5. Rosa & Reseda
6. Wildflower Honey
7. Runnin' Toward the Light
8. God & the Billboards
9. Winter Coats
10. Routine Maintenance