The Aimcriers release 'Solid State World' LP

Thursday, Feb. 20 — The Aimcriers, a rustic rock ‘n’ roll band, may have started in Tempe, Ariz., but since 2005, they have established some deep roots in the mid-Michigan scene. The band includes Johnny Aimcrier (guitars, vocals), Andy Aimcrier (guitars, vocals), and drummer Danny Aimcrier. The trio releases its new vinyl LP, “Solid State World,” Saturday at The Record Lounge. Here’s what songwriter Johnny Aimcrier had to say about his band and the new slab of wax.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard the band?

“I’d say we’re a rock band, a country band, a folk band, and a garage band. Throw in some punk elements when we go full electric or acoustic elements when we unplug, and you have the general gist.  The last time we played out, someone said we sounded like Elvis Costello fronting CCR.”

When did you start working on the new album?

“‘Solid State World’ spans many years of gathered tracks per song. Some drum or guide tracks were recorded as early as 2005, but most were in the last few years, with the vocal tracks and guitar tracks done in 2013. We have about 17 or 18 songs in various states of dress that get worked on periodically, some are older and we have some that have sprung whole in just the last few months. A lot of originals we play haven’t been captured yet in recorded form.”

Lyrically, what does the new record touch on? 

“The number of songs on ‘Solid State World’ was limited to eight for the very reason that some didn’t fit lyrically or thematically.  The tone of personal growth or learning from past mistakes crops up in a lot of the songs.  The sadness of feeling alone, especially when surrounded by people, finds its way into a few of the more poignant ones.  The main thing that each song has is a silver lining — even (the song) ‘The Way She Walks The Roads’ has a sense of rebirth and ‘Jubilee’ has a promise of a better world, despite the descriptions of despair.”

What's your favorite song on the new record?

“Each one has a bottom-of-the-ocean-deep meaning to (it), and each song has a beautiful mix of people and instruments playing on it. ‘Nine Rare Angels’ is a smidge higher than the rest of them due to a couple of things: It is the most recent song on the album so it burns with current emotion; it is simplistically stark in arrangement lending to a more direct message; it contains the heavenly backing vocals of Arline; and it has three levels of redemption following failure.”

What’s next for the band?
“We’re working in new instrumentation with keys and mandolin into our live sets. We have four or five songs practically finished from a recording stance that really go together well, all relating to a common theme of openness and realizing that there’s always two sides to every story. We might try to put out as an EP later this year. We also have a few songs that represent the beginnings of our next full-length album.”


Show info:
Aimcriers LP release show:
FREE, 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22
The Record Lounge - 111 Division St., East Lansing