Let us delve into the fascinating story of Barbarians of California, a musical collaboration spearheaded by the innovative minds of Aaron Bruno from AWOLNATION and the esteemed producer and engineer Eric Stenman. This dynamic duo invites us to take a closer look at their rich history, rooted in their teenage years, where a mutual enthusiasm for the intense hardcore music scene and the raw, gritty California skate culture of the late 90s profoundly shaped and influenced their musical trajectories. As we journey through their individual experiences and creative pursuits, we witness the seamless merging of their artistry, culminating in an exhilarating new era of heavier music. Aaron Bruno affectionately describes this as "The easiest music he's ever made," signaling a significant evolution in their creative endeavors.

Can you share how the band came together and what inspired the formation? ERIC As teenagers, we both loved the punk, post-punk, hardcore, and metal scenes. However, as I got older, I struggled to find aggressive music that resonated with me. So, I gradually began creating my own music over time. While working in studios, sometimes with Aaron, I started producing songs that I wasn't sure I would ever share. Eventually, Zach, our guitarist, and Aaron convinced me to let them hear what I had been working on. They were sitting on the couch when I played the first track, and after hearing it, Aaron said, "I'll sing on that one." And then he said, "Let me hear the other ones. I'll sing on those too." After that, he pretty much said, "Okay, you know, we're a band now, right?" AARON Eric recorded my first hardcore album, Insurgence, in Sacramento back in 1998. At the time, he was an up-and-coming producer with a lot of credibility, which was quite intimidating for me when we first met. We became friends but eventually parted ways after the recording. I explored music by working with two other side bands, both of which failed, before starting my venture with AWOLNATION. At that time, Red Bull offered me the opportunity to use their studio for free, and after finding Eric Stenman was the in-house engineer at the studio, I knew it was a good sign. Occasionally, I would drop in and play some heavy, deep music on the studio speakers. The snippets I heard back felt like good, stoner rock, but we didn't think much of it then. It wasn't until many years later Zach and I were like, “Okay, Eric, what is this thing you do? Let's hear it.”

What significance does the name "Barbarians of California" hold for you, and how did you develop it? AARON The name Eric used to have, which I liked more, was already used by someone else in Milwaukee. I won't say the name, but I really liked it and shared it with everyone, only to find out it was already taken. We tried to buy the name, but they said no, so we had to rethink our options. As California natives immersed in the underground skating scene, we wanted to evoke that early skater scene, misfit camaraderie. ERIC We were both born and raised in California, so our upbringing in the state played a big part in shaping who we are. My grandparents took great pride in moving to California, and that sense of pride rubbed off on me as well. Like Aaron mentioned, we both grew up immersed in the skateboard culture. While we may not have been great skateboarders, we loved it, and that was my introduction to music. A lot of my musical inspiration came from the punk bands advertised in the back of Thrasher Magazine.

How do you manage your time between your various musical projects and your personal life? AARON It's really fun because it's so lighthearted. There's a certain kind of freedom to be able to do this. It doesn’t matter if I put on a ridiculous jacket or use some random lyrics. There's a contrast between AWOLNATION, which has a certain kind of responsibility, and Barbarians, which does not. Many of our fans have said we should form a metal band or something really heavy because we both lean that way. As for our personal lives, I don't know - we're both dads. It's an insane thing to do at our age.ERIC We were working on two records at the same time. Aaron was working on an AWOLNATION record and the Barbarians record simultaneously, so there were days when I'd show up at the studio, not knowing which record we would work on. Aaron would come in and lay down whatever was in his head that day. He said it helped him to have this outlet to explore different ideas for each record. It's all about finding a good balance, and it's exciting not knowing what comes next. I didn't think I would play music again. I've been very happy being on the studio side of things, so whatever comes of this – if we play one or ten shows – it's all fun.

What main messages do you hope to convey through your music? AARON I guess if there were one message, it would be to simply always question authority. I believe that we have become complacent in trusting that others have our best interests at heart, regardless of which side we're on. When I was in college at Moorpark College, I only attended for one semester. I remember walking out of class to surf or play music after an instructor walked in and said, "Always question authority." That statement really resonated with me. I've never been one to trust people, especially those in positions of authority. Even in high school, teachers would tell us, "This is how life works; accept it," I would always wonder, "How do you know?" I believe it's important to challenge the status quo and question things. But honestly, Barbarians isn't focused on sharing a message or on a mission to change the world. I'm playing a character—a sarcastic, frustrated person in this world. I love the Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, and different metal bands. I've always found a little bit of humor in heavy music. Heavy music is so serious that if you could find little pockets to make fun of yourself, first and foremost, I think that people could relate to that in a lot of ways. I think the last person you should ask about what's happening in the world is a musician. Just because people like some of my music doesn't mean I know anything. ERIC I'd say that one symptom of current metal is that it's too perfect. We love the idea of controlled chaos, finding a balance between making it sound big and effective, but still having a little wild and different edge. I think the interplay of the lyrics, being very sarcastic, also reinforces that idea. Working together over the last 12 or 13 years, this was just a natural extension of what we had already started. We were at a point where we finished each other's sentences in the studio. I’ve had the ability to weasel my way into a new pocket of his world, and this is the result. AARON This is the easiest music I've ever made in my life. When I first heard Eric’s recordings, I thought, "Wow, this sounds how I always wanted my heavy music to sound." We couldn’t do this in 1998. We didn't have the technology, wisdom, ability, or budget. Now, you can make a good-sounding record in your bedroom, and that's exactly what we did. When our studio burned down during the recording of one of the AWOL records, we made it in my bedroom, and the sound didn't suffer because we didn't have a nice studio. The reason I wanted to do this is simply because it can sound good now. It’s a level playing field because you don't have to be a millionaire to make a good-sounding record. There's some great music coming from the underground. It's an equal opportunity." ERIC When we were younger, there would be a handful of tastemakers who would give you the thumbs up or thumbs down if you were going to have a career. There are still some very powerful people today, but way fewer than before, and there’s no one media outlet or radio station that’s going to make or break your career; music lovers have the power now. They are the ones making decisions now, more so than the gatekeepers, and I see that as a great thing. We are constantly coming across songs with 50 million plays on Spotify by artists we’ve never heard of before. It’s a wild time to be a musician. It’s crazy to fast forward in time and parachute into this world where you can put out a song and get immediate feedback.

The playing fields are now level. Everyone has an opportunity and a chance. It's a fantastic time to be a music fan. How do you handle criticism and feedback on your music? AARON I walked away from worrying about criticism many years ago. I don't know if I isolate myself from it, but I try not to look at too many comments because you could lose your mind. On the other hand, receiving too much praise can also have a negative impact. Personally, I don't pay much attention to feedback either way. ERIC I'm going to get a kick out of it in many ways, but if someone makes a good critique, that'd be cool, too. We're not basing the rest of our lives on the success of this project.

The upcoming album will include some collaborations, such as a track with Daryl Tappersky. How did that collaboration come about? AARON In the '90s, during the Insurgence days, my band had the opportunity to open for Snapcase, Earth Crisis, and Strife at The Showcase Theater in Corona. This event was known as the California Takeover, and it was a major Victory Records show. We formed a friendship with the members of Snapcase, who were from Buffalo. They were, and still are, considered hardcore royalty. We were thrilled that they wanted to play basketball with us while they were in town. We even introduced them to Jamba Juice, as they didn't have it on the East Coast. We spent a lot of time hanging out together. I remained friends with Daryl because AWOLNATION would tour in Buffalo, and we would meet up, and he'd come to the shows. So when we had this new project, I called Daryl and asked if I could send him some songs for my thrash project. He said he loved them and immediately agreed to sing on a track. It was as simple as that. We're honored to have him. The 16-year-old hardcore teen in me is freaking out inside because he's on it. Rick Rodney from Strife is also involved. We're lucky to have Tim from Rise Against on this project; his voice sounds totally appropriate for it. I also want to shout out to Matt Pinfield, who was going to sing on the record, but our timing didn't work out. But to even have someone like Matt's blessing is unbelievable. ERIC This project is fun enough, but bringing in people we've respected for years makes it much more enjoyable and elevates the experience. AARON So far, the best part of this project has been that all the musicians I know, love, and respect have texted me, asking how they can be involved.

Collaboration has been pivotal in creating Barbarians of California. When you first started making music, did you always feel a strong need for a musical community? AARON Learning from other songwriters is important in the beginning, even if you disagree with their ideas. It's valuable to be able to communicate effectively. Eric, as an engineer, also emphasizes the importance of communication. He has worked with a wide variety of people in the studio, including some who are rude and some who are cool. Despite this, he remains even-tempered, which I appreciate in our working relationship with AWOL. I need someone level-headed, the opposite of me. As a singer and lyricist, I tend to be a bit bipolar at times, artistically and emotionally, so I think it's important to learn how to work with people who can create a healthy balance. It's important to be open to how other people make and willing to learn from them. They may introduce you to a song you've never heard, share a great guitar idea, or introduce you to a band you've never heard before. That being said, it's also important to not collaborate at all. It's important to be able to do your own thing and feel confident enough that you know what you're creating is good or bad and when it's time to move on. I can say that I'm pretty good at hating on my own music, and that's important, too. ERIC One crucial aspect of our collaboration is that, while working in my studio, I never know when a piece of work is complete. Having no set timeline made it tricky. Things changed when we decided to release an album. Aaron's confidence in his musical abilities is inspiring. He could take eight ideas, choose the best five, organize them, and confidently declare that the work is done. This confidence has also inspired me to trust myself. It's important to finish things, as it's easy to keep going and never really complete anything. Aaron is great at inspiring confidence in the rest of us. I think Zach and Isaac would agree that someone has to take the lead and bring it to the finish line.

Would you consider this album done? If so, do you have a title and anticipated release date yet? AARON The album is called, ‘And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth’ and will be out on October 4th. ERIC Aaron and I love fall. Yeah, we're huge fans of fall. AARON Halloween time. Our birthdays are two days apart. ERIC We love Halloween. Football starts. AARON The waves start to get really good for me. ERIC We're fading into Thanksgiving and Christmas. The weather's cooling down. AARON The Barbarians of California album and the next AWOLNATION album were released at very similar times, and emotionally, it feels like a double album to me. Not to take away from what the Barbarians are or what AWOL is, but they feel like necessary, twisted cousins, and I don’t think one would have existed without the other at this point in my life.

Will there be any live performances once the album is released? ERIC Our album release show will be at the Troubadour on October 19th. It's my favorite venue in Los Angeles.

How do you see the band evolving in the next few years? AARON The best thing about this project is that we have no idea. ERIC I've never thought about what I'll be doing at 35, at 40, or any other age in my life. AARON I feel confident the live show will be good, and I say that only because the musicians we play with are so good. I don't know if we'll rise the ranks and be in a cool position to play at one of the Wilmer festivals or something. I hope we are, that’d be great. Or, if we have just this one Troubadour show in the middle of October. There’s a mystery in the unknown, and we just want to play a killer show for all our friends.

As we conclude the interview, it's evident that Aaron Bruno and Eric Stenman share a unique bond that transcends mere collaboration. Their journey, rooted in a shared love for punk and metal, has evolved into a dynamic and creative partnership that fuels their music. Aaron's insistence on questioning authority and finding humor in the seriousness of heavy music, combined with Eric's pursuit of controlled chaos and authenticity, creates a refreshing and impactful sound. From recording in makeshift studios to navigating the level playing field of modern music distribution, they highlight the importance of community, collaboration, and continuous learning. As they prepare to release their debut album, "And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth," fans can look forward to a project that embodies their collective experiences and musical evolution.

INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: Heathe Koepp