There’s a brand new and steadily buzzing rock band brewing in the form of Close Enemies, although chances are at least a few of the names are already familiar throughout a cranked up crew that’s actually becoming fast friends.

For starters, bassist/Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Hamilton is from the one and only Aerosmith, plus veteran drummer Tony Brock began alongside John Waite and future Journey member Jonathan Cain in power pop hit makers The Babys, then backed Rod Stewart.

Rounding out the line-up is Sheryl Crow/Don Henley guitarist Peter Stroud, fellow axe-slinger Trace Foster, also a tech for Joe Perry, and actor turned powerhouse vocalist Chasen Hampton.

In anticipation of their debut at the City Winery on Tuesday, January 28, Chicago Concert Reviews reconnected with Hamilton, who not only explained the entire path to becoming Close Enemies after Aerosmith’s aborted farewell tour, but a hint of what could come from “The Bad Boys From Boston” while reflecting on their legendary legacy.

How long has the idea of Close Enemies been brewing and what made you decide to officially give it a go?

Tom Hamilton: The band started when Trace, Peter, Tony and [lyricist] Gary [Stier] started writing songs a couple of years ago. I had met them all briefly a little while before that. Those guys got busy writing songs while I was getting ready for what was supposed to be the “Peace Out” Tour with Aerosmith. When the tour was canceled, Trace contacted me and asked if I would be interested in putting a band together with those guys.

I heard the material they had been working on and loved it, so I got on a plane and headed down to Atlanta where we all met at Peter’s house. That first day we all started jamming and came up with a song that became “Wink And A Feather.” The next day I played everybody a demo of a song I had been working on, and by the end of the day, we had a track that became “More Than I Could Ever Need.” We had a great time and I was all in.

How did you arrive at the band’s name?

Hamilton: We didn’t have the name when I joined and we didn’t have a singer either. Gary, who is actually from Chicago, sang on a lot of the early demos. Unfortunately, due to complications from past injuries, he wasn’t able to be our lead singer. Thanks to an old friend of mine, we had the good fortune of finding Chasen Hampton to be our front man. It was a “pinch me” moment! Then the process of finding a name for the band came up.

That was a frustrating, almost comical time as we tried name after name only to find that every time we felt we had a good one, somebody else already had it. That happened time after time! Finally, one night Peter and his wife were watching “The Godfather,” which has the line: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Peter’s wife Lynn had the idea of extracting some of those words and we had a name.

Can you give us a taste of your first single, “Sound Of A Train”?

Hamilton: “Sound Of A Train” is a good example of what we’re about musically. It’s a powerful rock song with embedded melodies and a lonely atmosphere that grabs me emotionally.

You’ve spent much of your career performing in arenas and stadiums. What made you want to take a more intimate approach at several of the City Winery locations this time around?

Hamilton: Close Enemies is a new band. It’s only natural that we would start out in smaller venues, especially considering that nobody’s heard a lot of our music yet. “Sound Of A Train” is out now, but the rest of our record is yet to be released. It’s part of the reality of how music is presented to the fans now. Being onstage in smaller venues doesn’t feel all that different than playing the big places. You’re up there in front of an audience, and you want them to like you and have a great time.

What does Close Enemies have in store when you come to Chicago?

Hamilton: We’re going to play most of the songs that we have recorded, plus couple of Aerosmith songs and a couple of hit songs by The Babys, which is Tony Brock’s band.

How would you describe your relationship with the area and do any previous shows around stand out for any particular reason?

Hamilton: My father grew up in Chicago, so I guess I have a little of that DNA somewhere inside. Aerosmith spent a lot of time there when we’d be basing to play the Midwest. It’s really been a home away from home and have always looked forward to spending time there. We used to base here for gigs like Alpine Valley, which has always been one of my favorite venues. I remember the early days playing the Aragon Ballroom. I have fond memories of playing there.

Having to cancel Aerosmith’s farewell tour was obviously very disappointing, but also gained the group a ton of additional respect for not hiring a replacement singer or using backing tracks. Why was taking that approach so important for you guys?

Hamilton: Losing the “Peace Out” Tour was devastating, but I’m grateful that Close Enemies was there and was ready to make me welcome. There’s no way Aerosmith would consider having Steven miming the vocals. At that late stage of our career, it was a little easier but still painful to accept that touring was no longer on the menu.

What types of material might you have in the vaults that you’d like to have released?

Hamilton: Aerosmith has a lot of plans when it comes to finding hidden versions of our songs and doing serious remixes of ones that have been on our records. I just heard a remix of “Write Me A Letter” that blew me away. It was like hearing a new band!

You’ve of course co-written many Aerosmith songs over the years, including “Sweet Emotion” and “Janie’s Got A Gun.” What do you hope your legacy with the group will be?

Hamilton: I’m happy, and frankly, relieved that I’ve co-written some of our stand out songs. I’m happy with the idea that I made a contribution to the success of the band and was a solid, reliable bandmate.

What do you consider to be the most significant moments in the history of Aerosmith?

Hamilton: The release of our first album, putting out “Toys In The Attic” and “Rocks,” getting back together after falling apart, making some cool videos, being a small part of hip-hop history with the Run-DMC version of “Walk This Way” and having a roller coaster at Disney World.

As you move forward with Close Enemies, what are your goals and hopes?

Hamilton: My hopes and goals are to be a solid contributor to the success of the band.

How you feel about this being called a supergroup?

Hamilton: We all have a lot of experience in music and have been doing it all our lives. Are we a supergroup? That’s for others to decide. I think we’re a great band.

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Close Enemies featuring Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith performs at the City Winery on Tuesday, January 28. For additional details, visit CloseEnemiesTheBand.com and CityWinery.com/Chicago.