Sept. 6, 2024

AWOLNATION - "Sail"

Show Notes
Transcript

This transcendent episode explores how AWOLNATION's groundbreaking hit "Sail" became an era-defining anthem of perseverance and catharsis. Tracing frontman Aaron Bruno's unconventional journey from indie troubadour to chart-dominating rock maverick, it dissects the track's daring blend of atmospheric poetry, guttural exhortations, and elemental grooves that captivated the world.

The making of its iconic red-tinted music video is revealed, as is "Sail's" lasting impact - a disruptive artistic vision inspiring a new wave of genre-fluid rock hitmakers. For one defiant howl, AWOLNATION crafted a timeless primal mantra about enduring life's darkest storms that still jolts souls today.

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Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!

Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!

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In the ever changing landscape of modern rock, few songs

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have resonated with such raw, uncompromising power as awell Nations Sale.

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From its humble origins as a passion project by musical

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polymath Aaron Bruno, this anthemic yet haunting track defied industry

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conventions to become one of the biggest crossover hits of

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the tweens. In this episode of The Hit Maker Chronicles,

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we dive into the making of Sale, explore Awolnation's unconventional rise,

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and examine how this surprising juggernaut managed to capture the

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zeitgeist through its potent combination of gritty electronics, introspective lyricism,

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and cathartic release. Long before Sale crashed onto radio waves,

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mastermind Aaron Bruno spent over a decade honing his craft

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as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. His musical odyssey

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began with the rap rock outfit Hometown Hero in the

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late nineties, before segueing into the electronica tinged indie act

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Hometown Scene. It was during this period of relentless touring

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and experimentation that the seeds of Awolnation began to germinate

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within Bruno's creative psyche. I felt confined by genres and

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industry expectations, Bruno reflected on his artistic awakening. I wanted

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to create something raw, uncompromising, and deeply personal, a true

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manifestation of the soul. With that mission in mind, Bruno

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began crafting the foundation for awol Nation's iconic sound, a

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daring amalgam of anthemic indie rock, hip hop, grit, electronica textures,

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and potent atmospheric elements. When Bruno independently released his awol

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Nation project's first EP in twenty ten, it quickly generated

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buzz across the musical underground. The lush, intricate production belied

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surprisingly introspective and existential lyricism, pondering the human condition amidst

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these turbulent modern times. It was a distinctive sound that

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stood apart from rock's mainstream, yet possessed the power to

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unite listeners from all walks of life. Initially released in

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late twenty ten as awol Nation's second single, the epic

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nearly six minutes Sprawl of Sale didn't seem primed for

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mainstream ubiquity. Its haunting, melancholic verses were all atmospheric restraint

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and Bruno's pensive, slurred musings on life's futility in the

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face of chaos and life's ephemeral nature. This incredible, stinging

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tricoscorpion is whipping trying to survive the dusty sun rays.

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But then the track would erupt into its now iconic chant,

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a simple two chord progression accentuated by thunderous drums. As

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Bruno's vocals transformed from whisper to guttural roar sail, He'd

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bellow repeatedly, his raw exhortations, giving voice to an indescribable

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mixture of angst, catharsis, and determination to weather the maelstrom,

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Whether interpreting it as an apocalyptic mantra or motivational rallying cry,

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listeners instantly connected with the song's dichotomous duality. Awol Nation

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had crafted a strangely life affirming anthem of perseverance and

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dogged resilience through life's profoundly dark stretches. Against all odds,

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the unique alchemy of Sale captured something universally resonant in

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the cultural psyche. Its slow burning grassroots success accelerated as

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the song anchored film trailers, commercials, and video game soundtracks.

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By the time its iconic, red tinted visual hit, Saale

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was firmly implanted in the mainstream consciousness, omnipresent yet eternally haunting.

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The staggering impact and longevity of Sale is difficult to overstate.

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In an era of genre osmosis and blurred musical boundaries,

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awoll Nation's breakthrough hit felt like a disruptive bolt of lightning,

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an urgent, primal howl of perseverance, cutting through the static

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and demanding to be felt on a visceral level. On

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a commercial level, Saale was simply gargantuan, certified double platinum,

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spending a record shattering one hundred and nine weeks on

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Billboard's Hot Rock Song's chart, as it seemingly never left

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public rotation. It established Awole Nation as bonafide rock superstars,

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with their full length debut, Megalithic Symphony, moving over a

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million units on the single's runaway momentum. But more importantly,

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Saale crystallized a profound creative statement that would influence an

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entire generation of alt and rock artists. Here was a

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track that effortlessly blended muscular bombast with simmering electronic textures,

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metaphysical poetry with primal guttural roars, all anchored by a melodic,

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tribalistic core that instantly embedded itself in millions of psyche's

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globally more in a moment. In the wake of awoll

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Nation's breakthrough, a new wave of crossover acts began blurring

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lines between rock, electronic, rap, and atmospheric music in daring

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new ways. The success of genre fluid artists like twenty

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one Pilots, Imagined Dragons and Portugal the Man owe an

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immense debt to the wildly innovative artistic palette on display

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across Sale and AWOL's catalog. Over a decade later, Sale

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still feels as visceral and raw as the day it

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was unleashed. Whether blasting from festival fields, pulsating from passing cars,

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or soundtracking the latest cinematic trailer. Those opening whales and

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atmospheric swells still hit like a spiritual defibrillator, jolting the

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senses while poetically reminding us that through life's chaos and darkness,

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the most powerful human response remains to let looser, defiant,

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unbridled howl of defiance, and persevere. As The hit Maker

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Chronicles proves, true artistic vanguards like Awoll Nation arrive once

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in an eon, alchemists capable of capturing the universal zeitgeist

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while simultaneously blazing a trail into the future. With sail,

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this unlikely crew crafted a soul shaking anthem as eternal

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and infinite, as the human spirit's unbreakable will to transcend

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all obstacles and keep sailing eternal against the wind. I'm

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Andrew Irons, and this has been another engaging episode of

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The hit Maker Chronicles. Join us next week as we

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continue to uncover the stories behind the songs and artists

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that have left an indelible mark on the world. The

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hit Maker Chronicles is a production of Calarogus Shark Media

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Executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this

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podcast may have been created with the assistance of AI