April 22, 2008, 11:05 AM ET
Gary Graff, Detroit
Even though Staind's next album is due out "July-ish," frontman Aaron Lewis is still making plans to record a solo album in the near future.
"As soon as this (Staind) record is done and while we're out on tour I'll be writing and getting everything ready to go," Lewis tells Billboard.com. "It'll probably come out right on the tail end of this new Staind record."
Lewis says that at the moment he's planning to produce and play most of the instruments on the album himself but notes that, "We'll see how far I get with that adventure."
As to what the album will sound like, he points to softer Staind material such as the hits "Outside" and "It's Been Awhile" as well as "So Far Away," "Epiphany" and "Everything Changes" as indicative of the direction he'll be taking in his solo work.
"The songs that I tend to write have always been different than what we write as a band," Lewis explains. "Usually the acoustic-based songs we've had over the years have been written on an acoustic (guitar) sitting in my living room, and then I bring them to the band and say, 'Here's the song, you guys do what you do...'
"Before I ever started in this band, the acoustic thing is what I did," he continues. "That's what my dad did when I was a kid, and that's something I've always wanted to do. It can co-exist with Staind because it's not the same kind of songs. It's like having my cake and eating it, too."
Staind has a few May shows -- including Rock on the Range May 17 in Columbus, Ohio -- before lunching a summer tour with 3 Doors Down. "We're good friends with them, and it'll be fun," Lewis says. "I can't wait to hook up with them."
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/..._id=1003792255