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Aaron Gillespie
Gillespie backstage at 2007's Revelation Generation.
Background information
Birth name	Aaron Roderick Gillespie
Born	July 18, 1983 (1983-07-18) (age 26) Clearwater, Florida, United States
Genres	Metalcore, post-hardcore, deathcore, CCM, alternative rock, emo
Occupations	Songwriter, musician, drummer, singer
Instruments	Drums, vocals, guitar, bass, piano
Years active	Since 1997
Labels	Tooth & Nail, Solid State, Virgin
Associated acts	Underoath, The Almost
Notable instruments
Truth Custom Drums

Aaron Roderick Gillespie [/gɪˈlɛspi/] (born July 18, 1983) is an American musician, best known for being the drummer and main clean vocalist for the metalcore band Underoath, and is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band The Almost.

Background

Aaron Roderick Gillespie was born on July 18, 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. He grew up in a devout Christian family, attended private schools and went to church regularly. His parents later divorced when Aaron was 18 years old. At age 14, Aaron worked at the church and vacuumed for $60 a week. He enjoyed playing the drums at church, but was told he did not play well and that he played too loud. At only 14 years old, he received a call from Underoath asking him to play drums for them.^[1] Gillespie married Jamie Anne Robertson on November 25, 2006 and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah so that his wife could live close to her family. While in Utah, the couple regularly attended Jamie's home church, The Rock Church. A year later, Aaron and Jamie moved back to Florida, and they now live in Tarpon Springs, FL. He is related to Steve Gillespie who was the previous vocalist for The Dyatlov Pass (now known as Echoes of Estrangement). He recently achieved the HM magazine's Readers Award for favorite Drummer of the year 2008, along with his band mate Timothy McTague who received favorite guitarist of 2008. ^[2] He now is a leader at a Ignite Student Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Hudson, Florida as of January 2010.

Underoath

Gillespie performing as a part of Underoath during their 2007 winter tour.

Gillespie has performed on every Underoath release and first began to add clean vocals on Underoath's third album The Changing of Times, which shifted Underoath's general music style into a more straightforward metalcore sound and was released in 2002. After lead vocalist Dallas Taylor parted with the band, Spencer Chamberlain joined and the band began to change the style of music even more.

Most of the album They're Only Chasing Safety is solely written by Gillespie and is about him ending a four year relationship. He stated to Alternative Press "I think I would've died if we didn't write those songs. I thought I had ruined someone's life. It's hard to explain, but you can't just pretend that things are great and go on and get married,". The follow-up to They're Only Chasing Safety, Define the Great Line was released on June 20, 2006, it was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 11, 2006, representing 500,000 shipped units of the album.^{[citation needed]} He now is a leader at a youth group in Hudson, Florida as of January 2010.

The Almost

Gillespie also performs lead vocals for his side project, christian alternative rock band The Almost. The band's debut album Southern Weather was released on April 3, 2007 along with their first single, "Say This Sooner". The single reached a peak of #7 on the Billboard's US Modern Rock Charts. Gillespie recorded every instrument on the Southern Weather album except for bass on a couple of tracks, with which Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line helped. Gillespie continues to tour with both Underoath and The Almost. On November 24, 2008, The Almost released an EP entitled No Gift to Bring. On October 6, 2009 The Almost released another EP entitled Monster. On November 3, 2009 The Almost released their sophomore record Monster Monster, in which the rest of the band mates were more incorporated in the recording process.

Emergency surgery

While on tour with Underoath in 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Gillespie underwent emergency surgery due to an infected hand. Instead of cancelling shows, Underoath recruited Kenny Bozich, former drummer of The Almost to fill in on drums. Spencer Chamberlain and Timothy McTague shared duties in singing his vocal parts.

Equipment

Truth Custom Drums:
14x8 Gold brass, die-cast hoops, Trick throw-off Snare
13x9 - Rack Tom
16x16 - Floor Tom,
18x16 - Floor Tom
24x14 - Kick Drum
These drums are New Orange Glass Glitter with Aged White Pearl Stripe.
The Shells:
Vintage Mahogany shells w/ reinforcement rings & roundover edges.^[3]
DW Hardware and Pedals
Meinl Cymbals:
14" Byzance Dark Hihats
22" Byzance Traditional Medium Crashes
21" Byzance Traditional Medium Crashes
24" Byzance Traditional Medium Ride ^[4]

• Evans Drumheads
• 24" EMAD Bass drum head
• 13", 16" 18" G2 Coated Tom Heads
• Promark Drumsticks
• 2B "The Natural" Hickory (16" Long, and 0.630" in diameter) Wood Tip

Discography

With Underoath

• Act of Depression - 1999
• Cries of the Past - 2000
• The Changing of Times - 2002
• They're Only Chasing Safety - 2004
• Define the Great Line - 2006
• Survive, Kaleidoscope - 2008
• Lost in the Sound of Separation - 2008

With The Almost

• Southern Weather - 2007
• No Gift to Bring - 2008
• Monster EP - 2009
• Monster Monster - 2009

References