3
Doors Down
By Mark Greenawalt
Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down burst
onto the music scene in 2000 with their break-out hit
Kryptonite, which shot to number one by October that
year. Not content to be a one-hit-wonder, the band forged
more of their mainstream songwriting into chart topping
success including the number one songs When I’m
Gone and Here Without You. Much of the initial fascination
with the group can be attributed to the unique vocal
stylings and lyrical visualizations of singer Brad Arnold,
but their longevity has evolved from a signature sound
that transcends all sub-genres in favor of the label
“straight-up-rock-&-roll.” Joining Brad
onstage are guitarists Matt Roberts and Chris Henderson,
bassist Todd Harrell, and drummer Richard Liles…collectively
known as one of the hardest working acts on the circuit.
3 Doors Down toured in support of their first CD, The
Better Life, with Creed and Seven Dust before releasing
their “sophomore” effort, Away From the
Sun in November of 2002. Miles and miles of tour dates
garnered countless new fans and the effort paid off
with both CD’s achieving multi-platinum status.
When last summer’s tour with Nickleback came to
end, it was not time to rest on their laurels, it was
back into the studio to record the new CD, Seventeen
Days, which is scheduled for release on February 8th.
Then on February 12th they are hitting the road again
with a tour kicking off in Daytona and coming to the
Celebrity Theater in Phoenix on February 20th. I took
the opportunity to ask them a few questions before they
embark on the next phase of their career and here is
what they had to say.
After pouring your hearts and
souls into compiling the songs for the first two studio
albums, “The Better Life” and “Away
From the Sun”, did it become easier or tougher
to reach into the creative pool and write new material
for the new CD, “Seventeen Days”?
“It never gets any easier-it’s always the
same process. It gets easier in one respect- for us
as people to connect but it’s always a challenge
to write a record- you can’t force it."
“Away From the Sun” debuted at No.
8 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 3 million
copies in the United States. Do you feel any pressure
to live up to or surpass this milestone?
“We always out pressure one ourselves-we want
to do better than the last record. I think that’s
just natural for anyone.”
The first single, Let Me Go, stays true to the
style and sound that has defined 3 Doors Down. Is it
a conscious effort to remain true to that signature
sound when producing new material or does it come naturally
from the time-tested chemistry of the band?
“It comes naturally-we don’t focus on how
a song will sound that’s just how we write.”
In an interview with Billboard Magazine, bassist
Todd Harrell said “It looks like the record is
going to be a little bit heavier than the last.”
Tell us what fans can expect from the upcoming release.
It’s a little more extreme- with songs
that range from heavy to light but it flows.
The new CD was recorded in Nashville which
is also known as Music City USA. What were the determining
factors that led you to record there?
“We had to relocate from our hometown because
of the hurricanes and Nashville made sense. It’s
close to home and we like it there.”
Long before “Kryptonite” infiltrated
the airwaves, an undiscovered bar band was rising from
the small town of Escatawpa, Mississippi. Looking back
on those days, are there any club owners or music store
employees that truly believed in you and stand out in
your memory as someone who genuinely helped you find
success?
No there’s not one particular person who stands
out other than ourselves. We always believed in each
other.
When a band gets inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame, they are introduced by another band
or artist that was inspired by their music. If you had
the opportunity to introduce any band that inspired
you (even if they are already inducted), who would that
band be? Are there any up and coming bands that you
would be honored to have introduce your band if when
you are inducted?
We would have loved to have inducted Johnny Cash. He
was always a big influence on us and unfortunately we
never got the opportunity to meet him. If we were ever
inducted and that would be one of the greatest honors-it
would be cool to have someone like Shinedown introduce
us.
The upcoming tour kicks off at the Daytona International
Speedway for the 2005 Budweiser Shootout on February
12th. FOX is scheduled to nationally air the live performance
of the new single, Let Me Go. After the race, fans will
be treated to the first concert of the new tour. Which
songs from the past can they expect to hear and how
many new songs will be added to the list?
(laughs)- we haven’t even worked out our set list
yet but I imagine it will be a mix of songs from the
new album together with a few from our first two records.
Will there be any time to hang out with long
time friend Dale Earnhardt Jr. while in Daytona? What
is the story about how you came to be friends?
Unfortunately there won’t be much time for fun
as we’ll all be working but we love hanging out
with Dale when given the chance. He’s a great
guy and we our relationship first started when he and
Tony Stewart appeared in our video The Road I’m
On. We all had mutual respect for each other prior to
that meeting and once we met it seemed like we’d
known each other for a while.
It’s reported that Brad will also be
singing the National Anthem for the Shootout like he
did at the 2005 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Are you tempted
to add some flair to the melody line to give it your
own style or do you safely stick to the original melody?
He sticks to the original melody.
After 22 months of touring, the band took 6
months off to complete the new CD. Was there any down
time to relax and let the heads stop spinning or has
it been a never ending quest to live out the rock star
lifestyle and reach for the next plateau?
We had off about two weeks for the holidays and that
was it. We’ve been working non stop. We didn’t
even have 6 months off for the new album-we started
working on songs while touring and then had a little
over 2 weeks (Seventeen Days) to really focus and finalize
what we wanted to record. We came off the road in August
and headed into the studio until December.
Can you describe where you were and what you
were doing the first time you heard “Kryptonite”
on the radio?
We were home in Mississippi. I was in my house and it
came on the local station. My Dad came in and told me.
Brad Arnold’s time behind the drums seems like
a distant memory now, but 3 Doors Down was originally
a trio. Guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell
rounded out the group. During that fateful trip to C.B.G.B.’s
in New York, the producers influenced Brad to come up
to front the band. Have you ever regretted changing
the make-up of the band to conform to the record companies
vision for the band?
The label had nothing to do with our line-up-we made
that decision-Brad wanted to be out front and we took
it from there. Chris joined the band shortly thereafter
making us a quartet. And we’ve worked with different
drummers through the years.
After recording six #1 singles, it has become
very common to hear your music on the radio. Does that
still bring a feeling of accomplishment when you turn
on a radio many miles away from Mississippi and hear
yourself?
It’s always nice to hear your songs on the radio.
It gives you a level of accomplishment.
The tour will bring 3 Doors Down to the Celebrity
Theater on February 20th. Having toured around the world,
is there any specific memory of Phoenix that you look
forward to revisiting while in town? In other words,
is there something special about Phoenix that makes
it a highlight in the list of tour dates?
We love Phoenix- they have great golf courses!
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