Page 20 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 99

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think everything and sometimes you just fall now turned them into record breakers. While hile its members are not exactly
into it. Anxiety, depression, it’s so easy to fall achievements like breaking the record for Wold, Three Days Grace has been
into that and it’s hard to get out. A lot of the the most No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream part of the music scene for many years, sur-
time you’re alone and you feel alone and it’s, Rock Songs chart (previously held by Van viving an abundance of changes in the in-
yeah, hard to get out of it, it just traps you.” Halen), mean a lot to the band, they are not dustry and outlasting many other artists and
The final track on the album - ‘The Abyss’ - the sort to get too wrapped up in statistics. bands that were around in the early-mid
deals with this subject matter and Matt re- Black Velvet is intrigued to know how, as a 2000’s. Brad and Neil have been in the band
veals that the song applies to him a lot. band, they measure their success. “You since its inception in 1997. Barry came into
‘Outsider’ holds a number of motiva- know, us still being here and still happy to the fold in 2003, while Matt joined as a fully-
tional songs; ‘The Mountain’ is one such be doing this is successful to us,” Barry re- fledged member in 2013, replacing original
song, inspiring the listener to move forward sponds. “The things we have gone lead vocalist Adam Gontier.
no matter what. It is said that seeking out through… It’s a hard thing to do. So, to be Brad tells us that after 15 years on the
new summits gives you a reason to push happy and to be out here playing for every- road it is important to keep things fresh and
through any adversity that may present it- body; it makes everything we did in the stu- interesting. “I think that trying to change the
self. We wonder whether, when discussing dio worthwhile when you can come out and little things is important to make it exciting,
the future of the band, do they try and fore- present that to the world and still enjoy it.” for example, on this tour we’re doing a bit of
see any potential obstacles, so that they can It’s always a good thing when a band a breakdown acoustic vibe which we have
plan a way to navigate around them? continue to get pleasure from making music never really done onstage, so that’s kind of
“We’re not that smart,” quips Barry. and it’s even better for them when people cool, you know, playing older songs differ-
“No,” Brad laughs. continue to listen to, appreciate, and con- ently.”
“Well, I think, just in life, you have to be nect with the songs. Hoping for the band’s It’s encouraging to know that even now,
prepared for everything that life is going to music to transcend generations, Neil reveals they are still trying to discover ‘first time’ ex-
throw at you because you never know what’s that one of his personal aspirations is for periences. There is actually a song on ‘Out-
going to come tomorrow,” Matt responds. Three Days Grace to be a band “that people sider’ called ‘Chasing The First Time’. We
“Bad stuff is going to happen, good things will continue to listen to when we’re old and recollect something that Fall Out Boy bassist
will happen and that’s the mountain, you just grey.” The drummer says, “I still listen to Pete Wentz once said about the immense
have to keep climbing it.” music from 20-30 years ago. I listen to - I success Fall Out Boy had achieved before
Since Three Days Grace’s self-titled guess they’re considered ‘classic rock their hiatus. Pete was quoted as saying
debut album was released back in 2003, the bands’ - Steppenwolf, The Eagles, AC/DC, something along the lines of, ‘When you do
band has inevitably been through a lot of The Doors, Led Zeppelin. But you know, in and achieve all these cool things and they
peaks and valleys of their own. When think- 30 years there’s going to be another wave of start happening in multiples, it becomes less
ing about the different mountains they have what you would then call classic rock bands, special. When it’s compacted into a small pe-
climbed to get to where they are, we ask so I think that to see Three Days Grace as a riod of time in your life, you don’t even re-
what they would say is the most rewarding - legacy band when we are grumpy old men member the specifics. It becomes a blur.’ We
getting to the top of each mountain, or the drinking scotch on the porch, I think that’s enquire whether this is something they re-
paths they have travelled to get there? “It’s the goal for me.” late to.
all about the journey,” Brad answers. “I think Sat across from Neil is Barry who begins “I think it’s that analogue where OK, you
one day when it all slows down we’ll realise to laugh. Neil clicks what has made Barry go out and buy a Ferrari and for three
the accomplishments and the things we chuckle and quips, “Except we are already months you refer to it as ‘the Ferrari’ and
have succeeded at, but right now it’s always grumpy old men!” after six months you refer to it as ‘the car’,”
just moving forward, all the time. We haven’t Barry nods in agreement and says, “I is Neil’s analogy. “You know what I mean?”
really stopped climbing, I guess.” think we already are…” The room fills with he asks, before continuing. “That kind of
These accomplishments include becom- laughter. analogue where... It is human nature to keep
ing a multi-platinum selling, award-winning looking for that next thing that’s going to
band, whose dark, angst-ridden songs have maybe feed the ego, or just feed that part of
THREE DAYS GRACE