Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) Discusses Band Breakup, Solo Album

While Ween fans are still mourning the loss of their band since they announced their breakup, former singer Aaron Freeman isn't letting grief slow him down. The former Gene Ween released his debut solo album, entitled 'Marvelous Clouds,' in May and recently shared his thoughts about the split, the record and post-Ween life.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your kind words and support," he revealed in an official statement, Spin reports. "It means a lot. My decision to leave Ween, however interpreted, was absolutely not made in haste. It's evolved over a decade's worth of internal and external struggle. Know that I am extremely proud of all that is Ween. And while Mickey and I are going our separate ways, I wish him only the best. I will always have nothing but love and respect for what we created together. I need to now move on for myself and for my family. I still, as always, look forward to a future filled with music as Aaron Freeman."

Freeman's 'Marvelous Clouds' is a covers album. He decided to bring to life the work of reclusive '60s songwriter Ron McKuen, and the two worked together on deciding what songs would end up on the album. "The songs that we picked for this record were really handpicked to cover the whole gamut of Ron McKuen," Freeman told Pitchfork.

Those who have listened to Ween over the years might be wondering why Freeman picked music from a songwriter who's most known for writing songs for Frank Sinatra. However, the musician has been taking a natural course in this direction for some time.

"I've been naturally gravitating towards getting into more of a soft rock or easy thing," he says. "On the last Ween record [2007's 'La Cucaracha'] I wrote 'Your Party,' and that was me going off into this weird direction, and I would like to pursue that. So the Ron McKuen stuff is right up my alley because it's exactly the kind of music I'd like to make."

Watch Aaron Freeman Talk About 'Marvelous Clouds'