Rock and roll one up with NYC’s Aris

You know how a guy sounds when he just wakes up … that scratchy and adorable sleepy voice? That’s exactly how I’d describe the way Aris (rhymes with Paris) sounded when he rang me up last week. I guess it’s not a leap of logic when you consider that the guy’s got the gravel of Kurt Cobain and the skills of every heartsick crooner you obsessed on in middle school. A passionate singer-songwriter/activist who gets his spiritual fill via NYC soup kitchens, Aris served up his sensitive side chit-chatting with Out Front. Check it out.

You’re described as a gay grunge rocker. Is that accurate?

I have diverse roots, but that’s definitely a good hashtag for people who are looking for an easy access point.

You grew up around musical diversity …

I grew up in Brooklyn, where you could walk down the street and hear gospel on one block, Motown and doo-wop on another … I grew up thinking that was normal, so the walls between genres were never that solid for me. I think that’s why the music I make is a tapestry of sound.

I noticed that you don’t really play up the gay aspect in your videos. In fact, you’re seen with women. Do you consider yourself gay?

I get asked this a lot. Sexuality for me is fluid, but on the Kinsey scale, I definitely lean more toward men. I’ve fallen in love with women before in the past, but the videos are more about telling a story and transcending sexuality. As far as my own sexuality, I am all about being an activist for the community, but I don’t know that I want to be a gay artist — I just want to be an artist.

Does your sexuality inform your music at all?

Definitely. I write a lot of love songs … songs of longing and lust, but they’re not about straight up sex. I want people to be able to relate and draw their own parallels. I don’t say ‘he’ or ‘she;’ I say ‘you’ or ‘me.’

You’ve got a real ease about you on stage. How do you prepare?

I don’t talk about this much, but I have terrible stage fright. I’m not sure if it’s judgment or the anxiety of performing, so it made me think I couldn’t do it — especially because I had a bad stutter.

But my mother toured as a belly dancer in the 60s, so I knew it was in my blood; I just had to access it and live it. We all have struggles and some days are worse than others, but if I can’t do what I love, my light is dimmer and I can’t give enough back to the world.

On your facebook page, you ask your followers to reveal the last time they cried, but I didn’t see your answer. Do you mind sharing?

Wow, OK. It was about a week ago. My mom passed away a day after Hurricane Sandy and the grieving process has obviously been very difficult — more so than I would’ve understood at first. There are moments when a memory or a scent hits and takes me to an overwhelming place and that’s what happened. I missed my mom last week and really wanted to talk to her.

Paula Cole and I did a duet [“I Believe in Love”] in a church and it was a magical moment. I was trying not to cry. If there was anywhere she could’ve been, that’d be it. Even people in the audience came up to me and said they felt her there.

If you could design a music festival, which artists would be performing?

I’d love to do a Lilith Fair revival, but with some boys in there. Nikka Costa, Paula Cole, Anouk, Chris Cornell, Lorde … and I’d love for this festival to have a collaborative spirit. Not just showcasing; but being a community.

Got any vices?

I do! I drink way too much coffee. It’s something that I’m working on … and by working on, I mean working on having it iced in the summer and hot in the winter.

Another vice I can talk about — especially since you’re in Colorado — is marijuana. New York is New Amsterdam. So my vices are pot and coffee … and cheeseburgers, which logically follow pot.

I’m also about to launch Operation Inspire in the spring, and I like to talk about that a lot. Our goal is to inspire people to get more involved in their local communities and to change their world for the better. We’re going to highlight the people who are making small changes and hoping it’ll get the ball rolling for others. This was inspired by my mom, who instilled a strong sense of service in me.

The Rolling Stones or The Beatles?

The Beatles.

Stone Temple Pilots or Pearl Jam?

Stone Temple Pilots.

 Soundgarden or Nirvana?

Awww, man! I love both of those! I mean Chris Cornell … that voice. Kurt with that songwriting! Pass.

Beyonce or Rihanna?

Beyonce, hands down. Not to diss Rihanna.

Madonna or Lady Gaga?

Madonna. She was a revolutionary and a smart business woman. Gaga has a fantastic voice, but I’m waiting to see her career trajectory and how she refines her aesthetic.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Trek. I was a big, big, big Trekkie. My mom even took me to conventions.

Love or Money?

Love. Money can’t buy love and if you have it, you don’t really need money.

And with that, he was whisked away into NYC oblivion to continue doing gorgeous things for our entertainment and the betterment of the world. For pics, vids, and updates on our sensitive, bearded buddy, check out ofcnow.co/aris.