3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down have just released their epic sixth album Us And The Night boasting the big chart single In The Dark. With a busy promo schedule Across The Ocean was extremely lucky to have ten minutes with this chart busting band speaking to Chris Henderson about the album and their plans to head to Australia next year.
Is it a weird feeling just before album release knowing that you can’t do any more now except promoting it?
You’ve just got to do what you can, you do what they ask you to do and hope for the best.
This was the longest gap between albums for 3 Doors Down, was the album hard to make compared to the past few?
We hired two new members, Todd and Matt left the band, so that was a challenge. The writing process, just learning how each other works and their strategy, because we let the new guys write with us, and seeing what they would bring to the table was time consuming at first. Once we figured it out the ball started rolling and it became really easy and a lot of fun.
Do you think the two new members, Chet and Justin, bring a fresh dynamic to the band?
I think so, yeah! It is still going to be the same as the core members are still there but the new guys, we allowed them to. I don’t mean that in any egotistical way, I mean by allowing them to participate we’ve allowed the band to change.
Was it a good feeling to get that excitement back in the band again?
Yeah, everything happens for a reason.
Was the game plan clear in terms of what you wanted to achieve in making the album?
It was definitely a see what happens type of vibe versus pushing one way or the other. We didn’t set out to try and make certain changes that were really conscious but only in some instances. It wasn’t like a global need to change or this song needed to change or that song needed to change.
Were the ideas fairly well mapped out before recording the album or do you allow plenty of scope to see what happens in the studio?
Depends on the mood, we write some songs before we get there or some songs during the recording process.
Does the band share any significant influences whether that be other bands, books, films, people or what is going on in the US at the moment?
Nothing really! What influenced us the most was losing the two members and gaining two members. That’s where it’s at, we don’t pay any attention to politics and never have been a political band even though people think we are, we’re not! In America, either you’re political or people think you are, know what I mean. There is no where in-between blah, blah, blah. We don’t give a shit about that and we do what we do.
Has the 3 Doors Down sound changed much over the last few releases?
It’s changed a bit, we haven’t reinvented the wheel. We’ve taken a couple of extra chances and gone back to the earlier 3 Doors Down days a bit and added some new modern era to it. The new music is a mix of the old and the new put together rather than just changing in to something we’ve never done before.
How hard a process was it replacing the two members you lost?
We didn’t try anyone out, Chet was my guitar tech and he was already there. Justin the bass player was a guitar player in another band Chet and I recorded in my studio years ago, we already knew him. He didn’t play bass at the time but he is a great guy and we liked him and it was like hey man can you come and play bass for us. He was like yeah sounds like a ball so he went out and borrowed one. Then he started playing bass for us, all happening.
How have the live shows gone since recruiting Justin and Chet?
We’ve already played two years on the road with them… going well!
Where to from here? Is the rest of the year predominantly touring?
Yeah! Touring, touring, touring and more touring. We just pick up and go, that’s what we do.
Is Australia in the mix for a tour?
It is, probably early next year because we’re focused on trying to get the record out and that takes a bit of time. I’d say early next year that we’re definitely coming. We’re booking that right now and we love coming to Australia and it has been a long time since we’ve been there but we’ll make it this time.
How do you fit in all the hits in the set list with six solid albums to pick from?
The fans tell us what they want us to play and with the internet people are definitely going to tell you. They tell you exactly what they think…
The single In The Dark, have you been happy with the response to it so far?
Of course, there has been a lot of really good feedback. Some people like it, some people don’t like it but most people like it and that is all you can ask for.
Do you get actively involved in the film clip for In The Dark? Have RJ Mitte from Breaking Bad appear in the clip was a real coup?
It was cool having him appear and it wasn’t hard to do, all we did was ask him and he said hell yeah I’ll do that. It worked out and the director of the video knew him and he said he was glad to do it. It worked out and he did a really great job and I’m glad he did it because I think he brings a lot to the video.
Is that hard with all the other stuff you have to do like making video clips, promo, social media and stuff like that?
In this particular video we weren’t even present when they filmed it. It was one of those things where this is what the video is going to be about and if you guys ok with it we’ll try and do it like this. We let the director run with it.
With the challenges of the industry did you have to think hard how the strategies used with the release of the album?
We talk to our label and ask them how we think we should do it, what makes more sense for you guys, what makes more sense for us and at the end of the day they are involved to.
Did you end up with a lot of songs from the recording sessions that might find their way on to other releases or end up as b-sides?
There is always a few that we record that don’t make it but we’ve never been a band that records fifty songs and record ten. We usually record eleven and pick ten and there might be another two out there that you won’t hear until they appear on the internet.
How do you juggle the pressure of expectations of fans and the music industry?
We do the best we can, people will say whatever they want to say and you can’t stop that. With the internet someone will bash you, someone will love you and if you take all that in to consideration when you make a record I think you will drive yourself a bit crazy. When you make a record don’t even think about that stuff.
Whether it is rummaging through vinyl at record stores such as Clarity and Title finding hidden gems to scouring the internet to find that album by the next big thing or chasing bands to get that elusive autograph and photo his passion is music all the way.
- Aversions Crown - January 27, 2017
- Sick Of It All - January 19, 2017
- Refused - January 11, 2017
