Aaron Perlut shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Aaron, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What battle are you avoiding?
I’m not sure if I’m avoiding it, but there is certainly an unseen battle going on with original music artists, particularly in local scenes. The post Covid environment has really been a challenging one for musicians. I think a lot of concertgoers are kind of holding their powder, unsure of what the economy will bring. So people are still going out to see concerts, but being far more selective and doing less exploring. Where they are going is to see cover music or tribute bands that they’re familiar with. I think for original artists like Atomic Junction, it’s a battle that is brewing—although at the end of the day, there’s really no one to fight. You just keep playing your music, making your art, and hope you can develop a following.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Aaron Perlut and I am the founder and leader of a band called Atomic Junction. We play roots, rock ‘n’ roll—kind of a gritty blend of Midwest-inspired rock, country and blues influenced by artists such as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earle, The Band, Tony Joe White and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, among others.
The band is based in St. Louis, and I would like to think our music reflects the diverse inspirations around us— the people we come across, the weird thing we see, the lives we live in the heartland of the US.
People have compared us to bands, like the Drive-by Truckers or Lucero, but I always reflect on something our producer Greg Griffith said about us. He said we were, “the bastard love child of early-Replacements and Reba McEntire.”
At the end of the day, we’re just trying to do our thing and hopefully build a larger following with each show and song.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I thought I was alone and pretty worthless. It’s something that ultimately drove me to alcohol and abusing it. It also created quite a deep well of insecurity and anxiety.. It took me a long time to get comfortable in my own skin, but I was finally able to in my late 40s with the help of my wife. But it’s always there, lurking in the shadows. I just need to be cognizant of it and keep working harder every day.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I think song writing was the real key for me. It kind of let me be far more transparent, and reflective about my pain, and put it on paper, and really analyze what I’ve been going through all these years and bring it to the forefront. But even after I started writing music, it took me a few years to start turning these stones over and being honest with myself and those around me.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I don’t know if I’m qualified to determine what the public version of me is. I think the reality is that we are all broken, but through the magic of social media we try to put on display the best of our lives. In truth, we’re all hiding the warts. Nobody’s really putting it out there when their kids fail, or they lose their job because they were drunk on the job or something terrible happens to them for the most part. I think a lot of people think my life is a joyride, but I have plenty of problems that are Russell with every day.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
It’s funny, but in addressing my anxiety, I did a 180 on this. I used to think my happy place was maybe with a bunch of my friends taking a boys trip and drinking a lot. Today I’ve become much more solitary and really just enjoy my quiet place, with my wife and sons, maybe rehearsing with the band. I have become much more of a loner. My idea of being social now is playing music, which is really one of the least social things on the planet. You have a stage and a microphone between you and a crowd. It’s really just you and four other guys making art. That’s my idea of a good time. That’s my happy place. That or just spending quality time with my family out in the country where there’s no one around.
Contact Info:
- Website: HTTP://atomic.band
- Instagram: @junctionites
- Twitter: @junctionites
- Facebook: @junctionites
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@junctionites?si=ftiggSmPNWbyrPOo
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/lk5IMHfqshS8RQMYfi
Image Credits
Atomic Junction
