Tom Hamilton has been enjoying the best of  both the past and present lately. His current band, Close Enemies, finally released its debut album this spring.

The Aerosmith bassist also has had the chance to look back a bit, with the arrival of an expanded box set edition of the Boston legends’ 1973 self-titled debut. The experience of capturing the songs on that record is one that he can remember vividly.

“When we recorded our first album, Steven [Tyler] was the only one in the band who had ever been in a recording studio,” he tells UCR. “Before we went into the studio he was always warning us to be ready when ‘that red light goes on.’ Back then when the tape machine was put into “record,” a red light would come on and you’d better have your s–t together.”

His Latest Enemies Have Gotten Quite Close

“I’ve really been getting off on the camaraderie. It’s been a lot of fun really getting to know these guys and comparing notes on everybody’s experiences over the years of playing with the various bands we’ve been involved with,” he shares. “It’s also been cool witnessing the dedication we all have to bringing our songs to people.”

They’ve been building their story over the past two years, one song at a time, employing a similar strategy when it came to hitting the road to introduce their music to the fans city by city.

It’s been, as you might imagine, an interesting experience for Hamilton, who has largely spent the bulk of his career playing arenas, stadiums and sheds. With his Aerosmith club days long in the rearview, he’s getting to relive that time period now with Close Enemies.

“I’ve always heard the names of some of the clubs we’ve been playing at but Aerosmith never really played any of them except maybe the Whisky,” he explains. “I really like the up close interaction we’re been having with the audiences.”

“The van life we’ve all been living when we’re out there. It’s definitely the ‘work’ part of being out there,” he adds. “On the other hand, it’s nice not to have to deal with airports and the complications of being part of a big entourage. There’s [also] plenty of laughs to go around.”

Meet the Members of Close Enemies

In addition to Hamilton, he’s joined by guitarists Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Don Henley) and Trace Foster, known for his work with Aerosmith (where he worked directly with Hamilton), AC/DC, Cheap Trick and many others.

Drummer Tony Brock (The Babys, Rod Stewart) and vocalist Chasen Hamilton round out the hard-hitting lineup and the bassist tells UCR that the chemistry they share has moved him forward in a number of ways creatively. “Working on our songs has been a blast. I’ve actually been learning a lot about different ways of writing songs and developing material,” he says. “Things move pretty fast when we’re all together throwing ideas around. I really like that there’s no hierarchy to the process. It’s teamwork at its best.”

Fans can see the group in action with “Take a Pill,” the latest video from the band’s self-titled album, which you can watch below.  “It makes me want to move when we play it. Plus it’s funny and showcases the band’s sense of humor,” he shares. “Shooting the video was a great time thanks to our director, Tom Flynn. He made the process move right along. Also it was a hoot seeing Trace, who brought the song [to the band] getting so much enjoyment out of seeing the video come together.”

Watch Close Enemies’ ‘Take a Pill’ Video

What’s Next for Close Enemies?

As both Hamilton and guitarist Peter Stroud have shared in previous conversations with UCR, they and the members of the band are more than stoked to be out there doing the work.

“This is like going back to the beginning,” Hamilton said in late 2024. “You know, we don’t have any previous albums. We’re going to be riding around in vans, probably and flying commercial, just like when Aerosmith started — and I’m looking forward to that. There’s a certain camaraderie with that.”

“I can remember that first show in Nashville like it was yesterday, and I clearly see the difference in this band since then,” Stroud told UCR in early March of this year. “Obviously, everybody are great players. We can pull off a one-off show easily.”

READ MORE: Tom Hamilton Announces Debut Close Enemies Show

“But the difference between now and then, in the tightness, the cohesiveness and the energy between all of us, is night and day,” he adds. “That first show was a lot of fun, but there is no replacing just getting out there and playing night after night.”

Will There Be More New Music?

Hamilton is looking forward to continuing to write and record new material with Close Enemies. “I have a bunch of demos of song ideas that I’ve accumulated over the years. It’s nice to look ahead and know that everything will have its day in court,” he admits. “We haven’t been under the gun yet. We’ll see what happens. That usually comes after a band’s first album.

To that end, he’s stoked about the fact that fans can buy the Close Enemies debut and they can also grab the newly remixed version of Aerosmith’s first album. “I think it’s going to blow people’s minds,” he says, regarding the Aerosmith reissue.

“I can’t wait to hear what happens someday when it’s time to do the same thing with Rocks. That was pretty much the most fun to make album we ever did. We really hit our stride on that one and it was a pleasure watching it come together.”

Close Enemies plans to continue touring and playing shows throughout the rest of 2026 as schedules allow. The band will be back on stage June 5 in Atlanta at the Avon Theatre. Find more information at the group’s official website.

Hear Close Enemies’ ‘The Sound of a Train’