I read that you're working on new material at the moment. How is it going so far?

----"It's going well. Just mixing a couple of new tracks at the moment so will be done soon. I wanted to get as much material down on demo as possible which has meant a short break from gigging but it's moving along well so I'll have some dates again soon."



How do your songs develop in general? Are you writing them all by yourself?

----"Yeah I write myself. There's not really a set way it which I write. Sometimes I'll just be jamming and play a random lick that sounds cool and it will go from there. Mostly I get all the music sorted and lyrics come after that."



Where do you take the inspiration for your songs from?

----"Musically it's a huge range of stuff. I love Megadeth, Alice in Chains, Pumpkings, The God Machine etc. I'm not interested in imitating any of them but I think if you have a wide scope of influences your own music comes out sounding more unique than if you try to write like one particular band or musical genre. Death is a frequent lyrical topic that graces my songs. I can't say one particular reason why other then it's the great mystery and fear in life. The fear of the unknown. And the metaphorical sense of new beginnings so it can be meant as a positive aswell."



Which instruments can you play? When did you start making music?

----"I started playing guitar at 13. A couple of years later a good friend and I formed my first band and I switched to bass. I enjoyed being a bass player during that period but always saw myself as a guitarist first. So when we disbanded I when back to guitar with my solo stuff."



Which occurrence led to it, that you turned to music and chose it as your job?

----"Pretty much from when I first started playing guitar it was all I wanted to do. And the first few gigs with my first band confirmed it. We rarely strayed outside London to play shows in the time we were together but those gigs were great for me. We had a real chaotic vibe going on and people were never sure what was going to happen at a show, from broken gear to broken glass. And as much as I loved the madness of it all I was serious about being technically good and pulling the stuff off live. That's the balance that I have kept as a solo artist, it still has all the raw energy and aggressiveness of a band situation when I play live with The Stalkers which is what made me get into all in the first place."



Which musician or band had the most influence on you, shaped you the most? What do you appreciate especially on him/her/them?

----"As far a guitarists go I admire players like Dave Mustaine, John Frushante, Keith Richards and Slash. Very different kinds of players but can sound aggressive and melodic and memorable which a lot of modern guitarists can't because a lot of them play and sound the same.



What fascinates you about music and what does it mean to you?

----"I think music like any art form gives people a voice that without it they would not have had. If your not the socially aggressive type you can send your art out into the world instead and reach people that way. It shouldn't be about trends and scenes and if it is than it's meaningless as trends come and go. But music that's from the heart lives on."



How do your plans for the future look like? Will there be concerts outside Great Britain as well?

---"First thing is to get the new recordings done and then get back to playing live dates. It would be great to play some shows outside England, but at this moment I'm a musical drifter and have no idea where I may find myself. I will continue to get my music to as many new ears as possible, while keeping the old ones happy and staying loyal to the rock and metal we love.

This London band AJTS have a lot going for them, they have bags of confidence which is always a good start, and the thing that makes them stand apart from the current crop of British alternative rock is that they simply demand your attention. Musically and image wise, from the opening song on this disk, "Only Living Witness" and beyond the band produce quality heavy rock music.
There is a hard edged grunge style to the first effort, smoothed over with a tinge of glam rock sleaze. The band find themselves somewhere between Rachel Stamp and The Wildhearts here. Searing and quality guitars bleed into our ears infecting our core, while drums beat at the skull only so that the sultry male vocals may soothe us so that all we want to keep on dancing.

Second offering here is "Death Tonight," and this is much slower and a touch darker to begin with. The band retains their rock hard beats and rhythm that make everything they do worth of a mosh-pit. Fans of Soundgarden and Therapy? will lap this one up, it's melodic and full of supercharged riffs and blatant emotion on the part of vocalist Aaron John. This band seems to recall everything that was great about rock music in the mid to late nineties. No, it's not Nu-metal, it's powerful, relevant and frankly up-lifting, an alluring beast tears us apart here.

Finally, "Stories" conjures images of how great this band are and have the potential to be, obviously there is more work to be done and the band will only grow and develop. With this last song though, one imagines a band pouring every ounce of themselves into a live show, swaying and bouncing in time with every beat and chord. This is the would-be anthem for the band. Aaron John's lyrics are constantly tight on this record, basic and cutting…the stuff of sing-alongs…and record deals. Simple as that.

With exposure in Metal Hammer earlier this year and a host of radio interviews under their belt, its full speed ahead Aaron John and The Stalkers, Good Luck!

For Fans Of: CKY, Rachel Stamp & Therapy?

By Dom Smith

Dom @ The Talk Magazine & Eyemusik.

www.thetalkmagazine.com

Greetings lovelys.

Listen out for us on Total Rock Radio on the Unsigned Band Awards Show, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays where you can vote for us in the 'hard rock' category.

See you at the next show.

Farewell for now.

Aaron x

Don't miss Aaron John's  interview this Thursday (24th May) on Raiders Broadcast. You can listen to it by going to www.raidersbroadcast.com and just hit 'live on air'.

It will take place from about 6.10pm (London time).

Fairwell.

x

Metal Hammer Review.

January 07, Issue 161

AARON John, formerly of punk trio The Lazarus Kill, is back. New band Aaron John and The Stalkers sees a primary focus on the vocalist - in fact, there's no details on The Stalkers anywhere. Having said that, the band combine catchy alternative tunes with a more whiny vocal style than before, and to good effect. Let's hope Aaron and co. last long enough to get the following they deserve.