Music News: Aaron David Gleason Debuts New Band PLEASANTVILLE With First Single And Music Video

Aaron David Gleason, a favorite among musical theatre fans, has begun a new venture – the founding of a new rock outfit named Pleasantville, a band that has just debuted a new video single “Steel Eyed” for their brand-new album THESE EMBERS. 

Aaron David Gleason has been a rocker, a punk, and an edgy outlier in the New York music and theater scene for over 17 years. His songwriting is a thick thread connecting each moment to the next, and his voice, a beacon of hope for rock music’s ongoing importance. Through his music, Aaron seeks greater understanding not only of himself and his place in the world, but the agency the listener can only ever uncover in the healing power of the arts.

On THESE EMBERS, Aaron coos, wrestles and barks a set of nine new existential crises set to song. Aaron is joined by singer, songwriter, actor, and model Emma Freeman, and the two artists create a moody but pop sound, backed by a hydra of folk tones. 

THESE EMBERS was born as a follow up to Aaron’s 54 Below show Hell and High Water, which played Broadway's Living Room in 2021, and which was directed by his mother, famed Tony-Award winning actress and storyteller Joanna Gleason. Hell and High Water chronicled Aaron’s deeply personal journey of dealing with pandemic-related stress. The show proved cathartic, thus inspiring Aaron to rediscover his creative process and begin writing a slate of new songs. 

THESE EMBERS was masterfully produced by Grouplove’s Daniel Gleason (no relation to Aaron) and mixed by TJ Elias at their studio, Big Trouble in Little Five Points, in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I think it took every year of my career leading up to this to finally drop any sense of artifice,” says Aaron. “Daniel Gleason, who has the same name as my son, helped to get me there. TJ Elias also pulled me off the scrap heap and said my music was still worth exploring, and this album never would have happened without him.”

Emma added, “It was such a pleasure working on this album! Back when we first started, Aaron sent me a few songs and asked me to arrange and record my own backing vocals. I started working on them and had so much fun - each song was so interesting and it was a huge joy to get to compose and sing my own parts. Aaron continued to send me more and more songs. Eventually it became the whole album, and I was part of the band! I loved the artistic freedom this project gave me — Aaron gave a few guidelines here and there before I started, but ultimately he expressed that he wanted me to just do my thing. And we always ended up on the same page! Can’t wait for this album to come out so that everyone can hear.”

Daniel Gleason has had his share of success in the indie-pop world and has remarked about the collaboration between he and Aaron, “Making this album with Aaron, Emma, Brad, TJ, and Ben was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. An album born with an adventurous spirit, it holds an emotional center as honest and vulnerable as Aaron himself. We walked in with the goal of pushing ourselves into spaces we hadn’t been before, and now a year later when I hit play, it still grabs my imagination.”   

The video for “Steel-Eyed” was directed by New York-based Jeremiah Kipp (SLAPFACE AMC+ Shudder Original) and shot at Tiny Farms, the home of Aaron’s mother, the aforementioned Joanna Gleason. 

Kipp said of the shoot, “There's a deep security that comes with long term collaborations, so in our video work, Aaron and I have only grown more weird, more sincere, more daring and in many ways more playful over 10 plus years. I warmly respond to his slightly dangerous "anything can happen" energy and meet him there in the spirit of his work.”

More news about upcoming live performances from Pleasantville is forthcoming.

Watch the Video for “Steel Eyed” directly below.

Listen to"Steel-Eyed" from THESE EMBERS on Spotify HERE. 

EARLY REVIEWS
“Steel-Eyed” swept me into a musical reverie from the first chord. Seamless collaboration between Aaron David Gleason and Emma Freeman, produced by the talented Daniel Gleason of Grouplove, creates a sonic tapestry that’s nothing short of enchanting. As I tuned in, the moody and cinematic vibes wrapped around me, painting a vivid landscape of emotions. There's a captivating steeliness in the gaze of the song, and it resonates with a powerful yet subtle force.”
-Tunepical Magazine

“Steel-Eyed” was a fantastic listen! The story telling in the lyrics is captivating, like a cool indie film narrative.”
-Certified Bop 

AARON DAVID GLEASON
For over 17 years, Aaron David Gleason has zig-zagged from trashy dance-rock to well-trodden conventions and monstrous, limitless grooves. His songwriting has been a thick thread connecting each moment to the next, and his voice a beacon of hope for rock music’s ongoing importance. Through issuing such an extensive snapshot of his musical journey, he seeks for greater understanding not only of himself and his place in the world but the agency the listener can only ever uncover in the healing power of music. Midnight Radio - All Hours, Midnight Radio - Other Hours, Gilly Leads and This is Aaron David Gleason are staunchly vulnerable, genre-defying and quakes with boundless heroism.