A Dirty Dozen with AIDAN AMINI from SLAVES TO HUMANITY – August 2020

According to a recent press release: “Inspired by the hard hitting rock of the nineties, Slaves To Humanity, seeks to reawaken the spirit of analogue-driven, powerful rock in modern music culture. The Orange County, CA based rock quintet formed primarily out of necessity, when lead vocalist Aidan Amini was scheduled to play at Hollywood’s Whiskey A Go Go. With only a month left before the show, the group finalized their current line up, which includes lead guitarists Pierce Akers and Max Hickman, drummer Shane Ryan, and bassist Nathan Johnson. Following their success at the Whiskey, Slaves To Humanity began playing locally across Orange County, amassing a following on both social media and at their live shows.” We get singer Aidan to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

“Behind My Back” lyrically is pretty straight forward. It’s about those people who stab you in the back and drop you when you need them the most. But musically the song has quite a few layers. Under all the guitars, there are multiple layers of lower octaves under the main guitars, giving the music some crazy power under the vocals.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I’ve been in love with music all of my life, but my passion really started a few years ago when I started going to School Of Rock and playing covers.  At that point I decided to start my own band, and after searching for a singer for months, I just started doing it myself and I never stopped.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

When I was in 6th grade I saw Slash and Myles Kennedy play live, and that show really is what pushed me to join School Of Rock.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

My main 5 music influences are Slash, Myles Kennedy, Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, and Axl Rose.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I’d love to do a collaboration with someone like Post Malone or Billie Eilish, just to put a twist on their music, and hear their voices and presence on something a little more rock.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Our music is kind of a collection of different styles but mostly modern rock, 80’s hard rock, and grunge. I like to call it #Sunset Grunge

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

For the most part, I cook for the guys. Max brings the sodas and Shane brings the energy drinks. Usually Max and I take out the acoustics, and Pierce joins in while Nathan and Shane sing with me.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

The last time I was starstruck was when I met my favorite band of all time, Alter Bridge. Myles Kennedy (who also sings with Slash) is my idol, and I got to meet him which was amazing!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

For me the best part about being musician is playing live and engaging the crowd. But if I wasn’t able to do music, I’d love to get into culinary arts. Cooking has always interested me.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

When I’m not doing music, I’m either at home taking care of my dog and playing games with my friends, or out with those same friends enjoying my youth!

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

No. In these few years of “living my dream” I don’t regret a single thing, everything that we’ve done has brought us here and if any of that didn’t happen, then we might not be at this point.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I’d love to be a part of the album Down on the Upside by Soundgarden. It’s my favorite album from them, and I’d just love to be involved in the making of it!

BONUS QUESTION – Due to the current world situation with COVID-19 / quarantine / shelter in place, what have you discovered you miss the most from your life before the pandemic struck?

Honestly, I miss school more than anything. I used to see all of my friends all day everyday and it’s just not isn’t the same. But we gotta do what we gotta do.

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Category: Interviews