Aaron Lewis has taken time away from Staind in the past, but the fact that the group is calling their upcoming break a “hiatus” initially raised a few eyebrows, especially given that they finished their last album with longtime drummer Jon Wysocki leaving the band.

However, Lewis says fans should not write the band off. He told Billboard, “The touring that we’ve done this year has been good. We’ve got this next tour and we might do something new year and then we’re going to take a little break for a second. We’re not breaking up. We’re not gonna stop making music. We’re just going to take a little hiatus that really hasn’t ever been taken in our career.” Lewis counted up seven records in 14 years, which is a pretty significant run for any band.

As for what’s next, the vocalist says that’s part of why they’re taking a break. He adds, “There’s so many options these days, and we won’t really know [what's next] until that time comes. I think it would take a ridiculous, ridiculous check for me to be willing to sign a label deal again, but there’s many other ways to do it. Everything is changing so much, every time you close your eyes and then open them again, the business has changed a little bit. So we’ll see when we get there what we’re gonna do.”

Lewis has the luxury of supporting two albums in two different formats. With Staind, he’ll return to the road Aug. 17 for the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival. Meanwhile, his country follow-up, ‘The Road,’ has already spawned the rising single ‘Endless Summer.’ He’ll remain out as a solo artist until Aug. 10, before taking a few days and readjusting back to Staind-mode.

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