TOM HAMILTON: 'Maybe AEROSMITH Will Do Something In The Future, But It's A Big 'If''

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton has once again said that he doesn't know what the future holds for him and his bandmates after they announced that they were officially retiring from touring due to Steven Tyler's vocal injury.

The legendary Massachusetts rockers made the announcement on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after the now-76-year-old singer fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

In a new interview with WBUR, Hamilton was asked if he thinks AEROSMITH will ever make it back to the concert stage. He responded: "Steven's healing process is going really, really well, but it goes at its own pace. Maybe AEROSMITH will do something in the future, but it's a big 'if', and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction. If we do anything in the future, it would come from him."

Last August, Hamilton was asked by AARP how much hope AEROSMITH has of future activities on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "doubtful we'll do anything" and 10 being "Yes, we'll be doing something". The AEROSMITH bassist said: "On the hope scale, I'm somewhere between 7 and 9. We won't be doing any tours from now on, but I'll always have hope that other types of opportunities will come along. This isn't the first time black clouds have been on our horizon — and somehow the sun managed to come out. Time and hope are all we have at the moment."

But when asked about the possibility of AEROSMITH doing more Las Vegas residencies, Hamilton said that although he loved the band's time in Sin City, "I have doubts that there are any more in the future." He also seemingly poured cold water on the idea that AEROSMITH could record a new album, saying "so far there hasn't been any talk" about going back into the studio, 12 years after AEROSMITH released its last LP, "Music From Another Dimension!"

Despite the fact that AEROSMITH will never tour again, Hamilton said that he holds out hope he and his bandmates can keep AEROSMITH alive.

"Steven has a way of powering through challenges like this one," Tom said. "He's done it before. You never know. We won't be touring, but there are a lot of other ways to be and do AEROSMITH."

Earlier in August, Hamilton told Charlie Kendall's Metalshop about AEROSMITH's decision to retire from touring: "First let me start by clearing up some information on Steven's injury. We were playing the third show of our 'Peace Out' tour [in] September [2023]. During the third song of the set Steven had a fall that resulted in a fracture to his larynx. Somehow he finished the show. Don't ask me how. It's a testament to his strength and desire to give the people what they came for. It wasn't a case of him blowing his throat out by doing something wrong. He has been healing well and working his ass off to get ready to go back out on the road but it just wasn't possible. We don't know what the future holds but it won't include touring."

Asked how much of the decision to retire from touring was made by the management as opposed to the bandmembers themselves, Tom said: "The decision was made by the team which includes the band and our dedicated management."

Hamilton went on to say that AEROSMITH's "magnificent crew and everyone who works for the band were informed" of the band's decision "within a day or two."

Tom also shot down the possibility of AEROSMITH carrying on with another singer, as there had been talk about doing a decade and a half ago when AEROSMITH fell out with Tyler after a canceled tour and Steven's stated intention to work for two years on a solo project. Tyler subsequently entered rehab for an addiction to painkillers.

"There's been no talk at all about going on the road with another singer," Hamilton stated. "I can't imagine it."

In AEROSMITH's original retirement announcement, the band wrote: "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.

"We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage," the statement continued. "We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time."

The band also thanked its fans for their constant support.

"Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades," the statement read. "Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history."

"It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives," the statement continued.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Tyler released a solo LP in 2016.

As previously reported, Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES has signed with TLG|ROCK for management and label services. CLOSE ENEMIES debut single, "Sound Of A Train", will be released on January 17 and will be distributed through Virgin Music Group.

Joining the 72-year-old Hamilton in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.