Uncertainty, fear, frustrations of cancer treatment inspire Aaron Graves to write new album

Those Lavender Whales take the stage at JJ's Bohemia tonight.
Those Lavender Whales take the stage at JJ's Bohemia tonight.

If you go

› What: Those Lavender Whales› Where: JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. M.L. King Blvd.› When: 9 p.m. to midnight tonight, April 13› Admission: $5› For more information: 423-362-5695

Two days after Aaron Graves was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in March 2014, he wrote "Growing."

"It talks about types of growth - the dichotomy of personal growth, the beauty of nature in spring and then the cancer cells growing inside my body trying to kill me. Songwriting became an outlet of emotion for me. I think writing songs was a good way to express frustration, little joys and keep myself positive. It was a good, creative outlet to hold onto while I was going through that time and the uncertainty it brought," says Graves, founder of Those Lavender Whales.

"Growing" blossomed into "My Bones Are Singing," the Whales' new album that was released April 7 on South Carolina's Fork & Spoon label. Chattanoogans will be among the first to hear it live when Those Lavender Whales play JJ's Bohemia tonight, April 13. Golden Pelicans will open at 9 p.m.

Those Lavender Whales started as a dorm room project of Graves while he was a student at Belmont College in Nashville. He was writing and recording songs at the time as a solo effort. His friend Chris Gardner was a college student in Pennsylvania and would join Graves in performing when he was home.

After Graves married Jessica Bornick, she learned to play drums. The couple, Gardner and guitarist Patrick Wall formed Those Lavender Whales. The band's name is inspired by a comic strip of a pirate chasing a lavender whale that a friend sent Graves while he was at Belmont.

Following his diagnosis, Graves was treated with six weeks of radiation for his cancer, then chemotherapy pills.

"We'll be playing a song at JJ's Bohemia called 'Lose My Mind.' That was a song I wrote after radiation. I remember I was constantly on the phone with insurance companies (he did not have health insurance), thinking about house bills, worrying about having enough time for my daughter and still wanting to pull my weight with the family - while just being tired all the time. That song represents all my feelings then and feelings you get anytime you are really overwhelmed with a lot of things on your plate," he describes.

Waves of distorted guitars and creaky strings on "How To Cook Everything" and the dark bass-driven undercurrent of "Oh My God" musically interpret the emotions of the songwriter during his treatments. But there are songs of hope and humility as well.

"On 'The Owl Called My Name,' the owl is an omen. If it called your name, it meant you were going to die. I tell the owl to leave and never come back. That's me saying the cancer came, and I'm not going to let it take me," Graves says.

And it hasn't.

He says his radiation was successful, he is off chemo pills and his condition is considered stable.

He believes "My Bones Are Singing" shows tremendous growth for Those Lavender Whales, reflecting the way their perspective suddenly expanded through a period of hard times.

Graves sings in "I Don't Mean To Hurt Anyone's Feelings" that he's humbled by the support of his community - "My friends circle 'round each other when one is in need."

"I had a lot of support from my community in Columbia, S.C. It was something that kept me going. There was a burrito restaurant that had a special and donated all the money from that to help our medical costs. There was a skateboard shop that printed T-shirts, a record store donated money from bands who gave to help us.

"With the release out, my wife and I have been reliving that experience and how much money was raised - about $20,000."

Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.

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