Aaron Lewis' confessional lyrics and introspective personality are at the heart of Staind's loud, angst-ridden music, and they continue to be the centerpiece of his country-oriented solo career. While other post-grunge bands were successful in mining the dark caverns once explored by Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, Lewis allows his sensitivity to pour freely from his words and often pensive vocals, enabling Staind to strike a balance between heavy metal bombast and thoughtful, melodic rock. After the group went on hiatus in 2011, Lewis embarked on a solo career with the EP Town Line. He continued to blaze his own rootsy path on Billboard-charting full-length efforts like The Road (2012), Sinner (2016), and State I'm In(2019). In 2021, he landed his first number one country single with "Am I the Only One," which appeared on 2022's Frayed at Both Ends, and he continued in a reflective direction on 2024's The Hill.
