Page 24 - Black Velvet Issue 88

BV88 pg22,23,24,25 3doorsdown_BV88 pg24 02/04/2016 19:11 Page 3

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sand right there. Everything prior to that was great guitar player, almost to a fault; he’s re- music side of my role models. My role mod-
3 Doors Down the way it was and everything ally intricate and uses all these weird chords. els were like Gary Rossington [guitarist -
after that is 3 Doors Down the way it’s going When he was writing it, it was a challenge to Lynyrd Skynyrd] and the guys from Metallica
to be.” kind of hear through a lot of what he was try- and Megadeth… the bands I really love.”
Now the band has been reset, its mem- ing to convey to the band. It took a moment Originating from a small town in Missis-
bers are back to sharing the same tour bus, to piece it together and to figure out what he sippi, what was it like for Chris growing up
having realised that they should just enjoy was trying to say. We had to put it down on in a small community and what kind of val-
the ride. “What we learnt from that period paper and learn these parts, it was challeng- ues did it instill in him? “Well, I think the
was, don’t take it so seriously that it be- ing but a lot of fun.” small community really instilled in us family
comes not fun for any person or any group values, if you will. It’s kind of given us char-
of people. It can really happen and it can re- e talk to Chris about the opening acteristics to always be nice to people; don’t
ally happen fast, especially when you’re on Wtrack, ‘The Broken’, and the gui- take the rock star persona, always make time
planes, trains and buses,” Chris notes. “Peo- tarist reveals that it holds the leading posi- for the fans, especially when they make time
ple go through things personally that are tion for a reason. “It was important for us to for you. That kind of thing comes from just
hard for you to deal with; but at the end of lead with that to wake people up and let them being from that area, because that’s the way
the day you have to enjoy it. You have to be know that we are still here, but at the same people are there. Growing up there, what it
friends and you’ve got to just get the fact time maybe scare them a little bit; that was was really like? If our little world was that
that you are going to be doing this together kind of our logic,” he laughs. “It’s really dif- small town we were instantly famous in our
so you might as well make the best of it.” ferent from 3 Doors Down and it’s definitely little world overnight – like mega famous,”
one of the songs that when people hear it Chris laughs, “it was pretty crazy!”
aking the best of it is what the band they’re like, ‘Uh-oh’, you know what I mean?
Mhas been doing during the making Like, ‘What happened?’ At the end of the day oing back to ‘Us And The Night’;
of the ‘Us And The Night’ album. The title it’s still a rock song and it’s still a 3 Doors Gwhen the first single, ‘In The Dark’,
track features the lyrics, D o w n hit the radio airwaves, it received a big
‘What they don’t know is, t’s kind of a snapshot of where track. It’s thumbs-up from fans and the media alike.
we’ve got so much more “Iwe’ve been and the struggle of just a There were, however, a small selection of
than we show’. We ask getting new members, the turmoil of the f e e l - fans who voiced their concern about the sex-
Chris what the band want good, fun ual tone of the song, saying that the lyrics
this new album to reveal business and the uncertainty and the fear song that were what they would expect from a band
about 3 Doors Down that all wrapped up into one thing.” - Chris we all like Nickelback, not 3 Doors Down. Chris
we haven’t seen before. Henderson, on ‘Us And The Night’. enjoy.” tells us that they were expecting that song to
“We want people to know ‘ T h e receive a mixed reaction, but he points out
that we are still around B r o k e n ’ that the lyrics are not entirely what they
and even though we’ve had some changes is a call out for the youth to be active in the seem. “If people knew what the song was re-
in the band, we didn’t let it stop us. We are world. It’s a song that says: the youth are the ally about… Because what they think the
still going full steam ahead and I think that’s future and if you don’t like something that’s song means, it doesn’t mean. They look at
what that song, ‘Us and The Night’, is really going on in the world, do something about it the lyrics in a way that means one thing to
about; at least for me. I mean, lyrically it - be the change that you wish to see in the one person and it means another thing to an-
could mean anything to anyone that they world. With the social media revolution, other person. We never said what she likes
choose it to. For me, it’s kind of a snapshot youngsters today have so many outlets for to do in the dark; it’s basically open for inter-
of where we’ve been and the struggle of get- their voices to be heard more easily and pretation. People are just assuming because
ting new members, the turmoil of the busi- loudly than any other generation. There is no they like to be told what they [the lyrics]
ness and the uncertainty and the fear all doubt that social media has helped develop mean.”
wrapped up into one thing.” intercultural relationships, allowing people The accompanying video stars RJ Mitte
After spending nearly a year doing the to become more open-minded and accepting from the popular television series Breaking
‘Songs From The Basement’ acoustic tour, to diversity and change. We wonder whether Bad. RJ, who has mild cerebral palsy, is an
the band were itching to write hefty songs Chris thinks today’s youth are more in- advocate for people with disabilities and has
which people can rock out to. With the aim formed and better educated on global affairs educated people about cerebral palsy. He
to push the envelope as far as they could to than when he was growing up. “I don’t really tries to promote the importance of hiring
take them out of their comfort zone, the ‘Us have a definitive answer to that. I guess my people with disabilities and encourages
And The Night’ recording process proved to opinion is what you are asking for, but… I them not to see a disability as a weakness.
be demanding yet enjoyable. It was a great don’t really know if they are or they aren’t, We ask Chris whether the band knew much
exercise in getting the quintet to gel and because they are really only going to take about RJ before he appeared in the video
learn new things from one another. Chris ex- what they want from the internet and they and whether it was a conscious decision to
plains how both Chet and Justin helped to are only going to take what they want from hire him for the role. “The video director
breathe new life into the writing process. the media. In general, in the United States, I knew him and had said to us that he would
“Over the years as you write songs you kind would say probably not. Maybe overseas a like to get RJ to be in it. We were like, ‘OK,
of get stuck in this kind of unwritten set of little bit because people specifically tend to great’. Yeah, we did know about him and we
rules that are just brought down through the be a little more informed over there.” knew what he was dealing with but that was-
process; through radio and people that you One thing that has never changed over n’t a factor. You know, it wasn’t about that for
talk to and different songs you’ve written. the years is that young people need good us and we actually didn’t even have a con-
You kind of get this rule book to play by, and role models to look up to, to help them follow versation about it. We really like him and we
those two guys didn’t have that same rule the right path in life. Unfortunately there really like his ideas and what he was bring-
book that Brad, Greg and I had. It was fun to doesn’t appear to be enough emphasis on ing to the video, versus all the other stuff.”
see them not have to conform and not worry positive role models in the media today and
about all these different things that we may we live in a world where the definition of Doors Down are certainly no
have worried about. It was nice.” ‘celebrity’ and ‘role model’ is blurred. Chris 3strangers themselves to raising
Do you feel that they may have felt some agrees, “I think there’s a lot of role models awareness and money for good causes. In
sort of pressure to prove themselves to you? but maybe not so positive. It’s about what 2003, the band set up The Better Life Foun-
“Maybe,” Chris replies. “I think they proba- the media tells you… I don’t want to get too dation, with a mission to ‘Make a positive
bly did internally but they never showed it. in-depth, but I don’t really think there are a change in the lives of children in need of
They just came to work every day, had a lot lot of positive role models at all anymore.” food, shelter and medical assistance, and to
of fun and did the same things that we did. It We ask Chris who his role models were enhance the lives of children and young
was great!” when he was growing up. “Oh wow, I’ve got adults with special needs.’
There were several songs that really to think about that,” he replies. “My role The foundation came about following a
challenged them but Chris says that the models were mostly musicians. I didn’t look charity event the band had been asked to do,
most challenging was a song called ‘Walk at musicians on a personal level, like people. alongside Shinedown, in Alabama. Both
Before You Run’, which can be found on the What they did in their private lives was one bands were performing for free and the event
deluxe edition of the album. “That was a thing and what they did musically was an- was a sold out arena show. However, when
song written by our drummer, Greg. He’s a other for me. So, I really paid attention to the they saw how much money was made at the
3 DOORS DOWN