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American Aquarium

Biography

American Aquarium is an alternative country band formed in 2006 in Raleigh, North Carolina by BJ Barham, who emerged as the band's primary songwriter and frontman. Originally from Reidsville, North Carolina, Barham founded the group while studying political science and history at NC State University, deriving the band's name from the Wilco song "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." For their first seven years, American Aquarium toured relentlessly—playing around 250 shows annually across 13 countries and 46 states—while building a modest but devoted fanbase, though achieving little commercial recognition or critical acclaim during this period.

The band's breakthrough came in 2012 with the album "Burn. Flicker. Die.," produced by Jason Isbell (formerly of Drive By Truckers), which was originally intended to be their final release. The album garnered considerable critical praise and marked a turning point after years of touring without significant industry attention. Barham described it as "the equivalent of flicking the light switch" for the band's career trajectory. However, the increased demands of touring and recording, combined with typical rock and roll pressures, led to a breaking point in 2017 when all band members departed, leaving Barham as the sole remaining member.

Despite this setback, Barham rebuilt American Aquarium with a new lineup featuring Shane Boeker on electric guitar, Rhett Huffman on organ and piano, Neil Jones on pedal steel guitar, Ryan Van Fleet on drums and percussion, and Alden Hedges on bass guitar. The reconstituted band released "Things Change" in 2018 on New West Records, followed by "Lamentations" in 2020. For nearly two decades, American Aquarium has pursued what Barham describes as "that rare form of rock-and-roll that's revelatory in every sense," becoming known for consistently sold-out shows and a candid, emotionally resonant songwriting style that explores themes of struggle, perseverance, and Southern heritage.

Fun Facts

  • The band's name was derived from the Wilco song 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,' reflecting BJ Barham's musical influences and the band's connection to the broader alt-country movement.
  • American Aquarium's fans raised $24,000 through a Kickstarter project to help fund the production of their 2015 album 'Wolves,' which was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina at Echo Mountain, demonstrating the band's strong grassroots support.
  • Over the course of nearly two decades, BJ Barham has played 3,000+ shows with 26 different members of American Aquarium across 13 countries and 46 states, showcasing an extraordinary commitment to touring and live performance.
  • The album 'Burn. Flicker. Die.' (2012) was originally intended to be American Aquarium's final release, as the band members were prepared to disband and pursue separate projects, but the album's critical success led them to continue as a band.

Members

  • BJ Barham - guitar, original (from 2006)
  • BJ Barham - lead vocals, original (from 2006)
  • Ryan Johnson - guitar (from 2007-10 until 2017-02)
  • Whit Wright - pedal steel guitar

Original Members

  • BJ Barham - guitar, original
  • BJ Barham - lead vocals, original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Jason Isbell - Producer of American Aquarium's breakthrough album and former member of Drive By Truckers; served as a friend and fellow songwriter from Muscle Shoals, Alabama who helped produce the band's turning-point album (Burn. Flicker. Die. (2012)) [2012]

Key Collaborators

  • Shane Boeker - Electric guitarist and backing vocalist; joined the band in April 2017 as part of the new lineup from Texas (Things Change (2018), Lamentations (2020), and subsequent releases) [2017–present]
  • Rhett Huffman - Keyboardist and organist; joined the band in 2019 as part of the rebuilt lineup (Post-2019 releases) [2019–present]
  • Neil Jones - Pedal steel guitarist; joined the band in 2019 as part of the rebuilt lineup (Post-2019 releases) [2019–present]
  • Ryan Van Fleet - Drummer and percussionist; joined the band in 2019 as part of the rebuilt lineup (Post-2019 releases) [2019–present]
  • Alden Hedges - Bass guitarist and backing vocalist; joined the band in 2019 as part of the rebuilt lineup (Post-2019 releases) [2019–present]
  • John Fulbright - Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer who worked with the band at 3CG Records in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Album production and recording sessions) [2010s]

Connection Network

Current Artist
Collaborators
Influenced
Mentors
Has Page
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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Lamentations 2020-05-01 Album
Wolves 2015-02-03 Album
The Fear of Standing Still 2024-07-26 Album
Burn.Flicker.Die 2012-08-28 Album
Small Town Hymns 2010-05-01 Album
Dances For The Lonely 2009-06-02 Album
Things Change 2018-06-01 Album
Chicamacomico 2022-06-10 Album
Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1 2021-05-07 Album
Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 2 2021-12-10 Album
Live at Terminal West 2016-11-25 Album
The Bible and The Bottle 2008-04-28 Album
Daytrotter Sessions 2021-08-20 Album
Live in Raleigh 2012-02-11 Album
Antique Hearts 2006-04-18 Album

Top Tracks

  1. Before The Dogwood Blooms (Lamentations)
  2. The Luckier You Get (Lamentations)
  3. Losing Side of Twenty Five (Wolves)
  4. Six Years Come September (Lamentations)
  5. Man I'm Supposed to Be (Wolves)
  6. Brother, Oh Brother (Small Town Hymns)
  7. Cherokee Purples (The Fear of Standing Still)
  8. Burn Flicker. Die. (Burn.Flicker.Die)
  9. I Hope He Breaks Your Heart (Dances For The Lonely)
  10. The Long Haul (Lamentations)

Tags: #alternative-country, #rock

References

  1. last.fm
  2. themusicalboxdotblog.wordpress.com
  3. lonestarmusicmagazine.com
  4. grokipedia.com
  5. themusicfest.com
  6. americanaquarium.com
  7. waltermagazine.com
  8. diffuser.fm
  9. thekessler.org

Heard on WWOZ

American Aquarium has been played 4 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Dec 22, 202508:46Vitamin Cfrom Ege BamyasiThe Morning Setw/ Stuart Hall
Dec 18, 202508:19Halleluhwahfrom AnthologyThe Morning Setw/ Scott Borne
Nov 30, 202514:38Little Thingsfrom ChicamacomicoHomespun Americanaw/ Ol Man River
Sep 20, 202518:28Dizzy Dizzyfrom Soon Over BabalumaBlock Partyw/ Brice Nice