The Almost
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Aaron Gillespie |
| Headquarters | Clearwater, Florida , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
The Almost is a rock group originating from Clearwater, Florida, fronted by Underoath's drummer and lead vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Established in 2005 as Gillespie's individual endeavor, the lineup has expanded to include guitarist Jay Vilardi, bassist Jon Thompson, and drummer JJ Revell. The band has produced three albums under Tooth & Nail Records: their initial release Southern Weather (2007), followed by Monster Monster (2009), and Fear Inside Our Bones (2013). After taking a break in 2015, Gillespie reactivated the project and unveiled a fourth album, Fear Caller, in 2019 through Fearless Records.
Origins (2005–2007)
In October 2005, Underoath's drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie introduced The Almost’s Myspace profile, sharing two early demos titled "I Mostly Like to Copy Other People" and "They Say You Can Never Write I Told You So in a Song But Here I Go" (which was later renamed "Never Say I Told You So"). Gillespie teamed up with Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line on the track "Yule Be Sorry," included on the Tooth & Nail compilation Happy Christmas Vol. 4. These initial compositions were created while Gillespie was working on Underoath’s album Define the Great Line.
Southern Weather era (2007–2008)
From December 17 to January 20, 2006, The Almost embarked on the "It's All Happening" tour featuring guitarists Dusty Redmon and Jay Vilardi, bassist Alex Aponte, and drummer Kenny Bozich. This tour was designed to promote tracks from their debut album Southern Weather. In 2007, the band supported Paramore on their RIOT! tour alongside The Starting Line and Set Your Goals. They also toured during June and July with bands like Emery, Envy On The Coast, and Army of Me. In May, they released the B-side "Hold On," which had initially been available as an iTunes exclusive. Their first music video for "Say This Sooner" debuted on MTV2's UNLEASHED on March 19, 2007.
Southern Weather, recorded in early 2006 and released on April 3, 2007 via Tooth & Nail, featured Gillespie performing nearly all instruments except bass on two tracks played by Vasoli. The album reached number 39 on the Billboard 200 chart and topped the Top Christian Albums list.
In November 2007, drummer Kenny Bozich departed from the band due to personal reasons; this was communicated through Myspace and clarified by guitarist Dusty Redmon.
No Gift to Bring EP and Monster Monster period (2008–2011)
The Almost issued the EP No Gift to Bring on November 24, 2008, which included songs such as "Awful Direction," "Little Drummer Boy," a rendition of Casting Crowns' "Your Love Is Extravagant," a revamped version of "Amazing, Because It Is," and a remix of "Dirty and Left Out." Primarily recorded by Gillespie with production by Underoath guitarist Tim McTague, this EP served as a precursor to their forthcoming full-length album scheduled for Summer/Fall 2009.
In May 2008, Gillespie revealed plans to enter the studio for their follow-up to Southern Weather, highlighting increased collaboration within the full band. Recording sessions took place in Nashville during early May 2009. Released on November 3, 2009 through Tooth & Nail/Virgin Records, Monster Monster featured singles like "Lonely Wheel" and "Hands." Bonus content differed by retailer: iTunes offered "Me And Alone," Best Buy’s fan pack included "West" and "Wrong," while the accompanying Monster EP contained tracks "July" and "Birmingham." The album peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 and secured third place on Christian Album charts.
In February 2010, The Almost performed at Australia's Soundwave Festival alongside headliners such as Faith No More, Jimmy Eat World, and Jane's Addiction, as well as bands including Paramore, All Time Low, and A Day To Remember. Additional club shows were held in Melbourne and Sydney with All Time Low and Dance Gavin Dance. On July 31, 2010, they appeared at Elmira, New York’s iMatter Festival alongside artists like August Burns Red and The Glorious Unseen. Later that year, on October 25, they released the Monster Monster EP featuring five bonus tracks along with music videos from the album.
Fear Inside Our Bones and Hiatus (2011–2015)
At their performance on June 1, 2011, during the O2 Experience in Denver, Aaron Gillespie revealed plans for their third studio album, entitled Fear Inside Our Bones. He later announced on Twitter that the recording process had wrapped up by June 10, 2012. The album was originally set for release on April 16, 2013 through Tooth & Nail Records, with the lead single "Ghost" accompanying it.
However, on April 1, 2013, the band communicated a postponement to June due to Tooth & Nail undergoing a transition to become an independent label. Eventually, Fear Inside Our Bones was released on June 11, 2013, achieving a peak position of No. 142 on the Billboard 200 chart and reaching No. 5 on the Christian Albums ranking.
In a September 2015 interview on Emery's BadChristian Podcast, Gillespie explained that The Almost was "on the back burner," citing his responsibilities as Paramore's touring drummer, his solo projects, production work, and the other members' demanding schedules as reasons for the band's inactivity.
Fear Caller (2018–present)
Motivated during Underoath’s 2018 tour, Gillespie began crafting songs for The Almost’s debut release under Fearless Records, titled Fear Caller, which was recorded in a desert setting. He shared a teaser ahead of officially announcing a record deal and unveiling the single "Chokehold," which premiered alongside a music video on September 25, 2019. The full album was released shortly thereafter on October 18, 2019.
Band members
Current lineup
- Aaron Gillespie – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums
- Jay Vilardi – lead guitar, backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Jon Thompson – bass guitar
- JJ Revell – drums, percussion
Previous members
- Dusty Redmon – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Alex Aponte – bass guitar
- Kenny Bozich – drums, percussion
- Nick D'Amico – rhythm and lead guitar
- Joe Musten – drums, percussion
Timeline
LineData =
layer:back color:black at: - 04/03/2007 - 11/03/2009 - 06/11/2013 - 10/18/2019
}}
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | US Christian Albums | US Hard Rock Albums | US Digital Albums | US Rock Albums | US Alternative Albums | ||
| 2007 | Southern Weather
|
39 | 1 | 19 | 39 | 10 | — |
| 2009 | Monster Monster
|
67 | 3 | — | 22 | 26 | 20 |
| 2013 | Fear Inside Our Bones
|
142 | 5 | — | — | 44 | — |
| 2019 | Fear Caller
|
— | — | — | — | — | — |
EPs
| Year | Description | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Christian | US Holiday | ||
| 2008 | No Gift to Bring
|
36 | 31 |
| 2009 | Monster EP
|
— | — |
| 2010 | Monster Monster EP
|
— | — |
Demos
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2005 | The Almost Demos
|
Singles
| Title | Year | US | US Alt. | US Main. Rock | US Christ. | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Say This Sooner" | 2007 | 111 | 7 | 35 | — | Southern Weather |
| "Southern Weather" | 2007 | — | 44 | — | — | Southern Weather |
| "Lonely Wheel" | 2009 | — | — | — | — | Monster Monster |
| "Hands" | 2009 | — | — | — | 32 | Monster Monster |
| "Free Fallin'" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | Punk Goes Classic Rock |
| "I'm Down" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | Fear Inside Our Bones |
| "Chokehold" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | Fear Caller |
The symbol "—" indicates releases that did not enter the charts or were unavailable in that region.
Music videos
| Year | Track | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Say This Sooner" | Southern Weather |
| "Southern Weather" | ||
| 2009 | "Lonely Wheel" | Monster Monster |
| "Little Drummer Boy" | No Gift to Bring | |
| "Hands" | Monster Monster | |
| 2010 | "No I Don't" | |
| "Monster Monster" | ||
| 2014 | "I'm Down" | Fear Inside Our Bones |
| 2019 | "Chokehold" | Fear Caller |