Aaron Brooks is no longer a Trendy punk. Simeon Soul Charger, his mature new rock band, will release its self-titled debut EP on Saturday at Musica in Akron. If you’re looking for the infectious, wiseassed pop-punk Brooks played as frontman of Trendy, you’ll either be disappointed or impressed. “To make a long story short, I grew up, my taste changed, my goals changed, and now I’m here,” says Brooks. “I’m over the lowbrow now.”
Trendy’s 2006 Stupid Generation might be Cleveland’s best pop-punk album. The group signed a management deal with a California company, but things went south, the band grew tired of songs about sloppy sex and tampons, and the players split in late 2007. On the new EP, Brooks emerges as a gifted songwriter who can really sing. The Akron-based quintet rocks on tunes like “Cigarette,” and soul-searching songs like “Rocket” have a cello in the mix. The band plans to use a full choir at the show. (The EP will be available as a free download at MySpace.com/SimeonSoulCharger. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m., cover $8.)
Brooks answered some questions about his new band, new direction, new approach and entirely new music. Read on. —D.X. Ferris
You had a professional management company with Trendy, but now you’re literally giving the music away operating on a much more low-profile career track. Why do the DIY thing?
Well, for starters it's the perfect time to do it. Everyone is broke and in search of something new. The major music industry is in shambles, and the labels that are able to sign bands are putting out mountains of formula-driven garbage, with a few exceptions. Just my opinion, though. This has actually been brewing in me for some time, but it's just now starting to materialize. Although we'll be offering physical copies of our albums for purchase, we'll also always offer all of our music for free download from here throughout eternity. People are going to download anyway, and I've wanted to give away the music for free since the days of Trendy. I really believe in the free networking of art and creativity. It literally makes it completely accessible on a world wide level to anyone that wants it. I'd hate to think that someone that heard one of our songs somewhere and liked us would be denied access to our music because of a financial or transportational obstacle, especially during the time we're in. Growing up, being the fanatical music lover that I was and still am, I know that if a band I really liked answered my e-mails, was nice to me at a show or on top of that gave their music to me for free, as a gift, I naturally would tell everyone about them. So that's all we're asking: Tell your friends and come out and see us live.
