thePULSEBy Jennifer Russo
In the last decade or so, a new wave of bands have found their place on the road to stardom that winds through the rock and pop music scene. Some will stick around long enough for us to know the words to a few of their songs by heart, some will have that one hit everyone knows that ends up on a commercial or in a movie soundtrack somewhere and a few ~ a very few ~ will accomplish what every young band sets out to achieve: glory in the form of becoming a household name and having enough chart-topping songs to make a legitimate greatest hits album.
3 Doors Down won the world over with a positive, high energy song with a flow that made even the most devout non-dancers get up and move despite themselves. “Kryptonite” was, and still is, a song that’s impossible to get tired of ~ and impossible to forget. You hear it; you turn it up, you jam. It’s that simple. With a style that effectively brings together rock and pop sensibilities with lyrics that are so relatable to life’s situations, 3 Doors Down has found the Holy Grail of modern day music ~ Lasting Success.
“A lot of people think in this day and age that once a band puts out a greatest hits album ~ that’s it, that’s all you’ve got,” says guitarist Chris Henderson. “But we used the album as an avenue to release new music ~ 3 new songs ~ and we are actually also working on a new record so it feels really good knowing you have enough songs to put out a greatest hits album, plus you’re still writing, plus you’re still touring ~ it’s better than ever.”
3 Doors Down, who began a charity called The Better Life Foundation back in 2003, are advocates and role models for getting people to acknowledge and help improve tough situations in the community. Approaching its 10 year anniversary, the foundation has grown exponentially.
“It began just helping women and children’s organizations and only spanned two counties, one in Mississippi and one in Alabama,” says Chris. “It’s grown into the whole Southeastern region of the United States ~ we were able to give some money to super-storm Sandy victims recently. We were also able to give a check for $50,000 to a group that was living on the side of the road in tents after Katrina ~ money they could use for materials and food that particular day.”
While the foundation reaches people physically, the band reaches people emotionally through their music. The three new songs on the album ~ “One Light,” “There’s a Life” and “Goodbyes” ~ show that 3 Doors Down are still writing lyrics that strike a spiritual chord with their fans without getting preachy or sappy. “Goodbyes,” a ballad written in reference a personal loss, really hit home after the recent December 14th school shooting in Connecticut; that night, the band performed and observed, with the audience, a moment of silence for the lives lost.
“The song instantly took on a new meaning and it was a really hard song to perform,” says Chris. “Brad was in tears and I was in tears. I’m a father of two young children myself, one 7 and one 10. It was just a black day ~ I couldn’t even begin to imagine.”
About their tour with Daughtry this year, Chris says he is really looking forward to the collaboration.
“We really wanted to tour together for a long time and just never could find the right opportunity or timing and it worked out this time. It’s really nice to be able to work together like this,” Chris shares. “It’s a nice thing to co-headline too because one night we close and the next night he closes and I’m beginning to like when he closes because I am done a little earlier and I can go watch his show.”
3 Doors Down and Daughtry will be playing at the DCU center on February 8 ~ get your ticket now before the show sells out! Check out other news and pick up the Greatest Hits CD on their official website:
Find out more about The Better Life Foundation and make a donation at:
www.thebetterlifefoundation.org.
Special thanks to Steve Karas of SKH Music
