Page 34 - Black Velvet Issue 96

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here are many positive aspects of on- Brad says. “I think we’ve all faced our chal- to do it. I think that if you have a place to es-
Tline communication though; one lenges and it definitely comes out in the cape and collect your thoughts and really get
being that you are able to be involved in dis- music; these are real things that we have healthy, that’s the biggest thing.”
cussions with people all over the world. You gone through. To be honest, to put it down
can get to know people who have shared on paper and write a song about it, it’s ther- eferring back to the song ‘The Moun-
similar experiences to you, or who may be apy for us.” Rtain’, we pick up on the line, ‘Is this
going through the same problems that you life that I’ve been living all that’s meant for
are dealing with in your life. isten to the songs on the album and me?’ We ask Brad whether there has ever
When Three Days Grace released the Lyou will hear that the lyrics deal with been a time when he has stopped to ques-
album’s first single, ‘The Mountain’ - an en- trying to find your own place through life, tion the direction his life has been heading.
couraging song that reminds you to keep being yourself and being comfortable in “Absolutely! I think we all do,” he responds.
going and continue to move forward, keep doing that. It’s okay to be an outsider - to not “I’d have to say it gets harder and harder
climbing that mountain - they invited fans to be caught up with negative influences or every year to leave my children; I have kids
share what they have been trying to over- how other people and the media want you to at home, I have a family. I have three boys -
come. Many different stories were shared, by act, to feel, what they want you to believe, in they’re eleven, nine and seven. Every time I
people of all ages and all backgrounds, each order to conform. Just be you. “Sometimes have to get on that tour bus I ask myself that,
with their own daily battles. Struggles relat- getting outside of the mainstream in-crowd you know. I think we all have things in our
ing to trying to get over loved ones dying, is a good thing,” notes Brad, “especially life that we would like to change and try to
overcoming drug addiction, suffering from when the mainstream crowd becomes kind question ourselves sometimes; which I think
depression / mental health issues, going of a crazy world. There are times when is good. We have to check it that way, so that
through heartbreak. One thing that these you’ve got to find your own path and just go we know whether the things in our life are
people had in common though, is how for it.” meant to be there or not.”
they’ve cited music for helping them through Brad tells us that he is an outsider. He is Having been off the road for almost a
these tough times. As an artist and a song- a loner. “That’s why I live where I live. There year, Brad, Barry, Neil and Matt will soon be
writer, Brad calls it the ‘ultimate compliment’ is nobody around and when I come home I hopping on a tour bus as Three Days Grace
when someone says one of their songs has stay home, I don’t really go out. I don’t like begin touring in support of ‘Outsider’. “I’m
helped them overcome a bad time in their crowds, so I kind of stay to myself and I’m excited to get back out and play some new
life. “We have a lot of fans that talk to us, es- alone all the time.” Back when Brad was at songs,” Brad says. There are plans for the
pecially for the song ‘Never Too Late’ [about school things were pretty much the same for band to tour America, Canada and they are
being in a dark place but seeing a way out him then too. “Once the grunge movement also looking at the UK too. “We have some
and wanting to turn your life around], they came along I was definitely that guy, you great fans in the UK so we’re hoping we will
say that the song saved their life in some know - ripped jeans, plaid shirts, long hair, be there definitely within the next year,” he
way. When you hear that, nothing makes you didn’t give a shit what anybody thought; I did adds.
feel more grateful. It’s very humbling and it’s my own thing,” Brad reflects. “That was kind Three Days Grace are definitely a band
kind of why we do this. It’s not just about us, of our thing growing up. Really, the grunge that are meant to be on the road; if you have
it’s about our fans, so it’s pretty amazing.” movement was the reason we started writing ever been lucky enough to see them live you
Frontman Matt has talked about his music.” will know that they put on a great show. We
bouts of depression in interviews where he “So yeah... when I have to get away from cannot wait until they make a return to these
has said that he had felt ashamed when he everything, I come home. Touring life is def- shores and when they do make sure you get
was advised by doctors to go on antidepres- initely a crazy world, and one that can catch yourself a ticket and we’ll see you there!
sants. Matt’s story prompted some of the up to you if you are not careful. Coming
topical content on ‘Outsider’ and he wants home for me, it’s being in the woods and just Visit www.threedaysgrace.com for more
the negativity surrounding mental illness to turning off. Some days I won’t... I have gone information
change. “Writing is definitely therapeutic, weeks sometimes with my cell phone off,
everybody in the band talks about their life. which my bandmates don’t like very much, Words By Sam and Penny Gower
Matt, he’s pretty open about stuff like that,” or my manager. but sometimes you just have

THREE DAYS GRACE