AARON LEWIS EARNS TWO ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC NOMINATIONS FOR “VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR”

SINGER-SONGWRITER-GUITARIST BACK IN NASHVILLE STUDIO WITH PRODUCER JAMES STROUD FOR FULL-LENGTH DEBUT ALBUM OUT THIS SPRING

Aaron Lewis has received two Academy of Country Music nominations for his debut country single “Country Boy,” continuing his breakthrough year as a solo artist. The singer, songwriter and guitarist was nominated in the “Vocal Event of the Year” category for the song--which features George Jones and Charlie Daniels--as both the artist and co-producer, along with co-producer James Stroud. The song is from Lewis'’ acclaimed 2011 country debut EP, "TOWN LINE" (R&J Records). The ACM Awards will take place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1.

The Staind frontman is in Nashville with Grammy award-winning producer James Stroud recording the follow-up to "TOWN LINE", which debuted at #1 on theBillboard Country Albums chart and #7 on the Top 200 Albums Chart. The new album is planned for a spring 2012 release and its first single will be released in February or March (details TBA).

On “Country Boy”--certified gold, selling in excess of 500,000 copies-- Lewis gets a little help from legends George Jones and Charlie Daniels, striking a balance between classic and modern country, as LEWIS tells his story like never before. Not only does the video include clips of Jones and Daniels in the studio, but it also draws from Lewis' own family archives, giving a glimpse into his youth, home and passions. The video has been viewed over 12 million times on CMT.com and YouTube (http://youtu.be/vsQzw_Ax8Cw) alone. The single and video also earned Lewis his first two CMT Music Award nominations: “Collaborative Video of the Year” and “USAWeekend Breakthrough Video of the Year” (awarded to the best video from an artist's major breakthrough album).

Audiences across the country have experienced Lewis’ riveting live version of the song and other highlights from "TOWN LINE" like “The Story Never Ends” and “Massachusetts” at Lewis' ongoing series of acoustic shows. In a recent review from his Temecula, CA show on 1/21, Rick Florino of ArtistDirect.com wrote: “During his solo acoustic shows and on his forthcoming new album, Lewis embodies the spirit of timeless country, continuing a long line perpetuated by the likes of George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams, Jr. He doesn't mince words. He speaks the truth, and his honesty reverberates via every single song he commits to tape…This ‘Country Boy’ will be remembered forever as the man who could do it all and more (1/22/12).”

"TOWN LINE" has also drawn critical praise from a wide variety of writers, including People's Chuck Arnold who said "He proves to be a natural on nostalgic ballads like 'The Story Never Ends,’ (3/14/11)," while Associated Press’ Michael McCall wrote, “He injects a flavor of his own into a polished, commercial country sound in a way that could win over country fans who've never heard of Staind (2/28/11).”

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