Aaron Bartlett of Shameless
by Trisha Bleau

CS: How did your group form? Did you start out together or did you pick up players along the way?

Aaron: Well, Cameron and I met my sophomore year of high school, and we started a band a little while after that. Then our drummer's interests changed and he decided to leave the band. After that we were drummerless for a bit, but then Paul came along, and we've been together for almost 2 years with him. Cameron and I have doing the band thing for a little over 4 years.

CS: What is the main focus in your ministry? Teens? The lost? The hurting? Why did you decide up on this as a focus?

Aaron: Our ministry is probably more geared towards troubled teens. Personally I have a heart to reach the non-Christians that are around our age, and younger, like junior high, high school, and maybe college. We decided to focus on teens because our generation, whatever it's called, is hurting. Broken homes are everywhere, abuse and neglect is evident, and teens need someone to turn to, and that's God. We want everyone to know that, even when you think there is no hope, no one to talk to, that God is always there.

CS: Where do you see the band in five years? Ten? The future?

Aaron: This question is a great question. If you would have asked me 5 years ago I would have said playing soccer or being a sports broadcaster. God has really put a desire in my heart to do ministry. I want to do music first and foremost, so that's where I see myself, but if that doesn't work out, I want to become a youth pastor.

CS: Do you ever worry about getting caught up in the world of show biz? That success will change your group?

Aaron: I don't personally worry about that, because everything that happens with the band, all the success and stuff, really is surprising to me, I didn't think anything would happen w/ the band, I just wanted to play music. But also, we pray all the time that God would keep us humble and keep our hearts pure, because you can't reach the lost if you are above them. We want people to see Jesus through us, and that can't happen if you have pride. Some of our friends are in this band called Everybodyduck, and they have really helped us realize that it's all about God, not about us. They are great mentors in the way they carried themselves w/ the fame and stuff.

CS: If you could meet any one person, past, present or future, who would you meet? Why would you choose that person? What would you ask them?

Aaron: I would probably meet Paul the apostle. He is definitely someone I admire for their boldness in their faith, especially in the way that he lead by example. He wasn't even accepted by the disciples, because of his past, but he continued to preach the gospel and was just so awesome. I would probably just talk to him, because his wisdom would boost me up, like listening to a great teacher, I would retain a lot more information.

CS: What is the biggest thing you have learned from performing and ministering through music?

Aaron: That if you aren't humble about things, it can get to you really quick. Also I have learned that success isn't an overnight thing, you have to work really hard and give up A LOT of things to do music full time. One more thing, people think that because you are on stage, you are someone special, someone that is better then them. I realize when I was younger I thought that people performing had some "super powers" but in reality they are just the same people as you and I. They go through the same trials and like the same things, they are no different.

CS: Do you write your own music?

Aaron: Yes, I would say the majority of our music has been written by us. The only stuff we cover is worship songs, and that's about it.

CS: How would you describe your music style?

Aaron: Geez, our music style ranges from about anything you want to hear. Our songs cover genres of rock, alternative, punk, reggae, ska, worship, blues. Although if I had to pin it down, I would say it is just rock, even though that's a very broad thing, that's the closest you could get to what our style is.

CS: Who, or what, are your biggest musical influences?

Aaron: I think for all of us, Everybodyduck has really been a great example and kind of like a mentor to us. Their hearts were great examples of God's love, and that is what we strive for now. As far as musical influences, personally I would have to say there are quite a few. For my bass playing, I listen to a variety of different things. Mostly rock, like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters (Both secular bands), Victor Wooten, Jaco, Marcus Miller, The Juliana Theory, and Jimmy Eat World. Christian Music, I really enjoy Audio Adrenaline and this awesome punk band called Sick Of Change.

CS: Who are some of the groups you have performed with and what did you think of them?

Aaron: We have played with quite a few "big" bands. Bands like Switchfoot, Plumb, La Rue, Everybodyduck, and Like David. I really enjoyed meeting and hanging out with them. I would say that I enjoyed Everybodyduck and Plumb the most, just because we clicked with them, and we had some good times together.

CS: Are you involved in your own home churches? What role do you have there?

Aaron: Actually I am not really involved in our home church. Occasionally I'll help out with worship, but other then that, I'm not really involved. A lot of times we'll be playing shows on Saturday nights and have to spend the night wherever we play, so we can't really commit to anything just because of our schedule.

CS: What is your musical background? Did you take lessons to gain the musical skills you have now?

Aaron: Actually I used to play lead guitar in another band before switching to bass guitar. I took lessons on that, and what was quite funny was that the guy that took lessons before me played bass, and so I would come early and pick up the last part of his lesson on bass, so that was my start in that area. I also played piano and took lessons when I was younger and played saxophone throughout elementary, junior high, and high school.

CS: How much time do you spend practicing as a group? How much time do you practice individually?

Aaron: We have committed to 2 practices a week as a group, each practice runs at least 3 hours, so we practice at least 5-6 hours a week plus shows. I usually don't practice on my own, because of my work schedule and school and stuff, but I'm trying to find some time for it! =)

CS: What kind of support do you get from your home town?

Aaron: Actually we get a lot of support from good ol' Porterville. We are one of the few bands from this area that doesn't play punk rock, so it's kind of a good change for people. We have played a couple of times in the City Of Hope Spectacular, which benefits the City of Hope Hospital. That has been a great thing for us, and it's really cool because our parents back us 110%.

CS: Do you have an accountability partner or prayer partner to keep you encouraged and uplifted?

Aaron: As a band we hold each other accountable in our actions and in things that we say or do, but I am also involved in an accountability group of guys. We get together Sunday nights and do a bible study and prayer, and just keep each other in the Word or out of trouble.

CS: Have any of the radio stations started to play your music yet? Are you getting your music out in any way besides just through the concerts you do?

Aaron: Actually, we are just finishing up the final touches on our first single release off of our new album, so it'll be on the radio mid-august I'd guess. We have our first CD which we just sold out of last night, so that was the other way we would get our music out.

CS: Any plans to sign with a major Label in the near future?

Aaron: That's all in God's hands, but I'd say that the plans of signing with A record label soon would be good, not necessarily a MAJOR record label. =)

CS: Do you have any advice to give to the youth of our world?

Aaron: My advice would be to really trust God. After all the bad times and crap that you go through, when it feels like there is no one there for you, God is ALWAYS there. I've been through a lot of times when I was at the bottom of the barrel, and God has always picked me up, and said "let me help you through this". Trust God's plan for you because His will is always amazing, whether or not you can see it.