CLOSE ENEMIES – the supergroup nobody asked for, featuring Tom Hamilton (AEROSMITH, or what’s left of it), Tony Brock (THE BABYS, yeah, I had to Google them too), Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow’s guitar tech, probably), Trace Foster (AC/DC’s tech guru, so basically a roadie) and Chasen Hampton (who???) – has unleashed a new sonic assault called “Rain”, through TLG|ROCK (never heard of ’em), distributed through Virgin Music Group (who are probably regretting this already). Prepare to be underwhelmed. ☔️
The band, in their infinite wisdom, declares: “‘Rain’ urges us to rise above adversity and spark change. Be bold, think big, and dream even bigger. It’s a call to action amidst adversity to manifest a transformative shift.” Translation: We needed something to fill the void in our otherwise meaningless existence. Also, please buy our single. 🙏
The accompanying lyric visualizer, lovingly crafted by director Tom Flynn (who probably owes them a favor), apparently captures the “spirit” of the band. Spoiler alert: it probably involves a lot of rain and maybe some dramatic slow-motion shots of middle-aged men pretending to be rock stars. 🙄
“Tom took the footage we sent him (probably shot on an iPhone) and created a lyric video that not only showcases the message of the song (which is deep, I swear!) but really captures our personalities and the fun we’re having as CLOSE ENEMIES,” the band explains. Translation: We paid someone to make a video, and we’re contractually obligated to say nice things about it. 🤣
This past April, CLOSE ENEMIES inflicted upon the world its third single, “Sweet Baby Jesus”, via TLG|ROCK, distributed through Virgin Music Group. It was the follow-up to “Inside Out”, which came out in February (and promptly went back in). A month earlier, CLOSE ENEMIES released its debut single, “Sound Of A Train”, garnering overwhelming praise from both fans and the press (citation needed). 🚂
Foster and Stroud (who?) graced the “Is Breakfast Included?” podcast (again, who?) with their presence, revealing the earth-shattering origin story of the band, which began more than two years ago. Peter said in part: “I’m sure each of us have our own perspective. It was sort of in layers. Trace and I had already been working on another band project (that nobody cared about), trying to get something off the ground, and then just out of the blue – I think it was at the when an AEROSMITH tour had to go on a hiatus (because Steven Tyler tripped over his scarf) – apparently Tom and Trace had been speaking where Tom said, ‘Man, I got all these songs I would love to try to do something with,’ and the light bulb goes off in Trace‘s head, and he goes, ‘I know just the guy to come up, and maybe we can get together and help you with that.’ So he asked if I’d be interested in going up there and just jamming around, and I said, ‘Yeah, well, I think I know just the drummer who would be into it.’ And that was Tony Brock, who’s a longtime buddy of mine. And we had always been trying to figure out some way to play together. And I figured that Tony and Tom might find some common ground and a good comfort zone playing-wise. So that was sort of the initial get-together.” Translation: We were bored and needed a hobby. 😴
Trace added: “I had this other band, and I thought we’re riding around in a van, doing shows and not making any money. And I’m, like, if I’m gonna do this, I need to up my game, because at our age to be driving around in a van, not to make any money… So I called Peter. Why not? Why not start there? I just thought we could add him to the band I was already in. And then we did it. And it started to work really well. And then, of course, like every other band that you’ve been in in your life, somebody does something wrong and they’re out of the band. Me and Peter were, like, ‘This isn’t worth it. Let’s just wait.’ And then, like he said, we started putting this other project together, ’cause we did all kinds of writing and we got the guy from Atlanta, Gary Stier, that was in my original band in Atlanta. I started writing with him, and then I brought Peter in. Peter knows Gary, of course. So the band that I was in in Atlanta all knew Peter, but I didn’t so that’s the weird thing. And then it just kind of went from there. Everybody’s schedule didn’t always jibe, and we just tried to make it work, and then we were in Las Vegas with AEROSMITH and I literally went, ‘Man, we really gotta do something.’ And then I just looked at Tom, and it was one of those moments where you go, ‘This is the guy. He’s asking for some help,’ and this and that. I just walked up and I said, ‘Hey…’ I didn’t ask him. I basically told Tom, I said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna come to Boston and work on your songs.’ And he was, like, ‘Well, let me think about that.’ And then like an hour later, he was, like, ‘I think that’s a really good idea.’ So that’s how it started. And once Tom and Tony played together, it was pretty much a given.” Translation: Desperation is a powerful motivator. 🤷
Peter continued: “That was a great five days. I loved it, too, where Trace suggested to Tom, ‘Hey, why don’t we come up for a couple days, two or three days?’, and he goes, ‘How about five?’ First he was, like, ‘Well, let me think about it.’ He was like, ‘How about five? You guys wanna move up here?’ I was, like, ‘Man, there you go. I said, ‘That’s a reflection of somebody who knows hard work right there.'” Translation: We were surprised he didn’t kick us out after day one. 😅
CLOSE ENEMIES made its live debut on October 11, 2024 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee. The crowd went wild… or maybe they were just bowling. 🎳
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
