Aaron Friend & The Enemies create music that is urgent, uplifting, and anthemic, imbued with a vibrant energy that enhances its emotional depth. Nashville-based singer/songwriter/producer Aaron Friend developed his latest work during a time of personal upheaval and self-discovery, channeling his profound pain and uncertainty into songs that explore, confront, and illuminate complex themes. This body of work serves as a vital soundtrack for self-reflection, raw catharsis, and transformative experiences.
Currently, Friend is working on the follow-up to his 2018 EP, Colors, which showcased his dynamic approach to alt-rock. His music consistently reflects a unique blend of precision and passion. Growing up in Cleveland, Friend began exploring his musical talents at an early age, gaining recognition for his impressive three-and-a-half-octave vocal range. He spent much of his childhood performing in a cappella groups and received classical training in piano and saxophone. Ultimately, his passion for rock music led him to join his first band, allowing him to perform in numerous rock clubs across Cleveland by the age of 16. Although he was accepted into Boston’s Berklee College of Music for vocal performance, he opted for a more pragmatic path, majoring in music industry at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). “My mom had always supported my pursuits in music—even if we didn’t have the money, she’d find a way to get me my guitar strings or whatever I needed,” he recalls. “But when I saw what my loans would be after graduating from Berklee, business school made more sense than a wild dream.”
After briefly stepping away from his musical aspirations, Friend rediscovered his passion for music during his sophomore year at MTSU. Over the years, he played in various bands, gaining valuable touring experience and sharing stages with acts like Maroon 5 and Lifehouse. However, he faced numerous challenges when attempting to establish a music career. “Every band I’d put together ended up falling apart, and after a while I felt so frustrated with the whole process,” he reflects. While working 50 hours a week in music licensing in Nashville, Friend shifted his focus to songwriting on acoustic guitar and began performing at some of Music City’s esteemed venues, including The Basement and Hotel Indigo. A pivotal moment occurred in 2016 when he caught the attention of award-winning producer Jackson Eppley while performing a Killers song at a karaoke bar, leading to the creation of Colors. Co-produced by Eppley and Ryan Truso, the EP marked a significant evolution in Friend’s sound and confidence. “Making the Colors EP took my music in a new direction, and it was definitely a happier direction for me,” Friend notes. “I feel like a door has been opened and I’m finally getting to play what I really love, instead of just chasing what I think other people might like.”
Just as he was gaining momentum as an artist, Friend encountered another major setback: a difficult divorce. In writing his upcoming project, he has drawn deeply from this pain and heartbreak, resulting in his most ambitious work yet. “My divorce is one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through,” he admits. “At the same time, it’s helped me to get to the point where I’m able to fully express myself. For a long time, I felt like I was walking on eggshells with my lyrics, but now I have this open forum and everything feels more honest.”
Influenced by singer/songwriters like Jesse Malin, Friend delves into nuanced emotions in tracks such as “Pretender,” a beat-driven exploration of the façades people adopt to conceal their vulnerability from loved ones. Meanwhile, “Hello” emerges as an anthem of determination, its moody tension heightened by Friend’s soulful vocals. “The song was sparked from the feeling of not being heard,” he explains. “I left the Rust Belt because I was chasing something bigger, because I was in love with making music, but for a long time I felt like people didn’t understand what I was trying to say. ‘Hello’ is me up on stage asking, ‘Is anyone there?’”
As a co-producer of his new material, Friend has embraced greater freedom in the sonic landscape of Aaron Friend & The Enemies, incorporating synthesizers and electronic bass into his music. In expanding his sound, he has also sought to break free from the confines of his classical training. “I’ve had to battle that part of my background, because it’s so easy to stop yourself from doing something that isn’t technically right,” he states. “But when you get too caught up in structure, you lose the edge and the emotion of the song. If you’re too scared to make a mistake, then why are you doing it in the first place? Rock N Roll is about risk.”
Through the myriad risks taken in bringing his latest project to fruition, Friend aspires to impart the same courage and clarity he discovered during the creative process. “I want people to come away from these songs feeling like a fog has been lifted,” he says. “I want others to know that someone else has gone through similar issues/problems and to recognize that they can also emerge from a bad situation. To me, music is a form of therapy. It’s just an added bonus that it ends up being therapy for other people too.”
