The Almost Biography
Who is The Almost?
The Almost is a rock band founded in 2005 by Aaron Gillespie, then the drummer and clean vocalist for Clearwater, Florida-based Underoath. Gillespie envisioned The Almost as a more traditional rock project than Underoath, giving him an opportunity to explore a different musical direction while expressing his personal convictions through songwriting.
The band's 2007 debut album, Southern Weather, was largely Gillespie's own creation. He wrote the songs and played nearly all the instruments, with contributions from other musicians including bassist Kenny Vasoli, before assembling a group to perform the material live. The album debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200, produced a Top 10 single at alternative radio, and earned exposure through MTV's Discover & Download. The Almost subsequently toured extensively, including a stint on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour.
Guitarist Jay Vilardi, a veteran of Florida bands including Phoenix Mourning and Hand to Hand, initially served as the group's musical director, teaching the songs to the other musicians. Guitarist Dusty Redmon, formerly of Tooth & Nail bands Beloved and Dead Poetic, and Salt Lake City bassist Alex Aponte helped complete the lineup. Drummer Joe Musten joined the band in 2008.
Following the touring cycle for Southern Weather, The Almost began developing their second album, Monster Monster, released in November 2009 through Tooth & Nail/Virgin Records. This time, the members wanted to create a more collaborative record. Vilardi, Redmon, and Aponte exchanged musical ideas by email while Gillespie wrote lyrics and developed material on the road with Underoath. The musicians then gathered in the studio to refine the songs and work out the arrangements together.
"We jammed on these tracks for hours before we actually laid anything down," Gillespie explained. "This now feels like a real band. Everyone gave up a piece of his own agenda for the good of the final result." The collaborative process also relieved some of the pressure Gillespie had experienced working alone. "They supplied the bricks and we built the house together," he said.
The resulting album combined garage rock, acoustic blues, country, psychedelic rock, and melodic alternative rock. The title track and "Young Again" reflected Vilardi and Redmon's enthusiasm for bands such as the Stooges and the Velvet Underground. "Hands" featured a melodic, expansive rock arrangement recalling U2, Coldplay, and Kings of Leon, while "Books & Books" paired electronic-rock elements with tribal-style drums.
Guest musicians Chris Scruggs, grandson of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, and John Davis, vocalist and guitarist for Superdrag, helped broaden the album's musical palette. Their contributions included steel guitar parts on "Hand Grenade" and "West," the latter appearing as a bonus track on the Best Buy deluxe edition.
Beneath its varied musical styles, Monster Monster explored the darker aspects of human nature, including personal failings, lost innocence, and the struggle to overcome destructive impulses. Although the album did not begin as a concept project, its songs gradually developed a common theme. "It didn't start out as a concept album, but by accident, I think it became one," Gillespie said. "It's about the 'monster' that lives inside of all of us, which we have to fight to get rid of. It's a battle you live with every day."
That theme runs throughout the album. "Lonely Wheel" explores surrender, while "No I Don't" moves from an acoustic opening into an anthemic rock chorus, with Gillespie admitting, "I'm learning how to wait." "Young Again" and the country-flavored "Hand Grenade" consider the loss of innocence. "Souls on Ten" combines piano with an urgent rock arrangement, while "Summer Summer" draws on the grungy garage-rock sound associated with Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
The closing song, "Monster," offers a movement toward belief and a sense of release. Beginning with Gillespie accompanied by a single dobro, the song includes the lines, "I'm learning to believe in this life... I feel you helping me." The other musicians eventually join him for an extended instrumental passage recorded live in the studio. For Gillespie, music provided a way to confront personal struggles and deal with the frustrations of life. "I play music. That's what I do. That gets rid of the garbage in my life," he explained.
Vilardi similarly emphasized the difficulty of maintaining personal convictions while acknowledging human imperfection. "It's about how terrible we can be at times," he said. "It's hard to be a person today who stands for something. It doesn't make you better... sometimes it even makes you worse."
The band's relationship with Tooth & Nail placed its music within a Christian music community where faith and mutual support were important. Gillespie nevertheless emphasized that he wanted The Almost's music to reach listeners regardless of their beliefs. "Music should reflect who you are," he explained. "I believe there's hope in finding who you are. That's my conviction. At the same time, I want anybody, no matter their affiliation, to react to the music in the same way. I don't want people to feel they're being judged."
The band's willingness to embrace the rebellious spirit of rock and punk existed alongside these convictions. Vilardi expressed a desire to restore some of rock music's raw attitude, citing bands such as Guns N' Roses, while Redmon emphasized the importance of setting aside individual egos in service of the music.
The Almost also gave Gillespie an opportunity to approach songwriting differently from his work with Underoath. "I like working with a song structure," he said. "In Underoath, that's not what we do. We create moments, which is important, but The Almost is something different."
What began as Gillespie's individual rock project had developed into a collaborative band with its own musical identity. Its songs paired raw rock energy with candid reflections on human weakness, while Gillespie emphasized personal conviction, hope, and a desire to welcome listeners without judgment.