American Aquarium Rises For Emotional Return To George's

American Aquarium has stopped in Fayetteville at least once a year for more than a decade. Since their last visit, they've released two new albums -- their next studio album, which No Depression called "a career defining, unforgettable masterpiece," and a cover album of '90s country radio hits that was just plain fun. We've got a lot to catch up on next time we see each other.

"They were one of those clubs early on that said, 'we're going to build this band in the market and this is going to be your home in Fayetteville,'" frontman BJ Barham says of George's Majestic Lounge. The group started in the front room, and when their crowds outgrew that, they were moved to the back room early on, he remembers. "We're very fortunate that one of the best clubs in Northwest Arkansas took a chance on us, and George's offers one of the best live music atmospheres in Arkansas. So we're really excited to get back there."

Barham says he's grateful for the time he had to acclimate to "dad life" during the band's involuntary hiatus, but he's ready "to fall back in love with touring."

"I think any time there's moments of crisis -- whether it be personal or large, global scale -- people turn to art," Barham muses. "And when everybody's stuck at home ... it gave them an opportunity instead of just listening to their favorite band's single on Spotify on their way to work kind of half-heartedly, they were able to sit down and consume art on a scale that we've probably never seen in our lifetime. Most of us, especially the 20- and 30-year-olds, over half of our life has been digital music. It's been free; it's been something that you can just put on in the background. So we were seeing a lot more people sitting down with entire records and putting on headphones, and really dissecting setting records again."

For a band that takes a lot of time and pride in making the lyrics the central focus of the music, Barham notes, that shift in consumption gave people a lot of time to fall in love with what the band were trying to say on "Lamentations," an album that's pretty heavy emotionally and thematically. But that artistry wasn't lost on folks; Barham shares that the album is the band's biggest release ever, both critically and commercially.

After that reception, the band was equally surprised, if not more so, Barham reveals, when their '90s cover album, "Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1," a surprise release in May, prompted massive enthusiasm as well. After recording a heavy album, followed by a heavy year, "Bangers" was just an excuse to "have as much fun as humanely possible" together in the studio, Barham says. Fans will get plenty of both as American Aquarium makes their return to George's on June 24.

"You'll have one song that kind of brings you up, and then I'll take your knees out from under you and put you right back down," Barham confirms with a laugh.