It’s been more than 20 years since 3 Doors Down began their journey as one of most beloved rock bands in the world. Now that they’ve just released their sixth album, Us And The Night, we caught up with guitarist Chris Henderson to know more about it.
How’s 2016 going for you guys?
This year is going really well. We got new music on the radio and people seem to be really digging it a lot, which I’m really happy about it because it’s scary to put new music out. You never know what people are going to think, but our fans really seem to like it and I’m really happy about that.
3 Doors Down were formed back in 1995 and after two decades the band is still going strong. How does it feel for you guys to see what the band has accomplished and the impact of your music to your fans?
It’s really cool and it was something that we didn’t think we would be able to do. Looking back to all that, we’ve never really thought about being 20 years… We just never thought about it and for me just today I’m doing interviews all morning and that seems to be kind of the running theme like “You guys have been around for 20 years” and I’m like “Damn! Has it been that long?” [laughs] It’s a really cool feeling to be able to survive in the music industry for 20 years… It’s just really cool.
Your debut album The Better Life was released in 2000. How do you look back to that record and to that period of time for the band?
I look back at it… We had some ups and downs since that record and some ups and downs with the music, but what I’m most proud of, I think, is the fact that no matter what happens with this band, we keep going. We show the world that no matter what happens, we’re gonna be here. Like us or not, we’re here.
“Kryptonite” is a classic song of 3 Doors Down, and it’s a song that I always love to go back to and sing along. Do you remember what inspired to write this killer song?
Yeah, that was a long time ago… [laughs] Brad wrote that song in high school in a math class and he wrote the lyrics. He brought the lyrics to the band’s practice with the song written and two lyrics at the band’s practice on one night, you know, really quickly… And for what I remember, it just an exciting song and an exciting time for the band.
What do you do to challenge yourselves when you’re writing new music?
I think we just don’t settle. We’ve never been a band that wrote 505 songs and pick the ones who go to the record. We’ve never been that band. A lot of people like to do that. They pick their favorite songs for the record and then try to pick the best ones. I don’t think that’s a possibility. I think you end up making a lot of songs that need to be there. We try to write 13 songs. We try to do quality over quality and being true to ourselves and being true to our fanbase and the people that have told over the years what they like about us and what they don’t like about us. We try to listen to them and we try to make records for our fans.
You guys just released your sixth full-length album, Us And The Night. How was the whole process working on it?
The inspiration for this record was just the two members of the band who left kind of inspired us… I think they were the inspiration for this record. I think trying to write in their absence to prove the possibilities and I think that was kind of really what we drew from. With myself and Brad, I think the fact that we had new members that were able to be inspired by him and I think everything happens for a reason. We lost two guys and then we gained two guys. I think it was the perfect situation that we needed to do.
“I think [Us And The Night] is a snapshot of where the band’s been through the last five years.”
The two new members, Chet and Justin, seem to give a refreshing push to the band. What did they bring to the band and to the writing of this new album, which was your first studio experience together?
Definitely! This is the first record they’ve ever written. [laughs] The process was really cool. We were able to kind of show them the roads a little bit, especially myself and Brad as well. We were really able to show Chet and Justin how we’ve done it in the past and they were able to just pick up on that and write themselves. That went pretty good. We found some strengths and some weaknesses. I think writing a record is knowing how to capitalize our strengths and weaknesses.
Did you guys do anything differently while approaching this record that you haven’t done in the past?
Yeah, absolutely! The writing process was a lot different. We wrote songs like we did in the past, just sitting in a room and writing some stuff, but a couple of songs on this record, “In The Dark” and “The Broken” for instances, those two songs were written on programmed drums which was something we’ve never done before. They were programmed on a computer and then written basically inside of a computer and transcribed with the other instruments in a later day and I think that really helps. Those songs kind of take a dirty rock’n’roll feel and a more upbeat dance kind of a modern feel. I think it really helped the tracks kind of flow.
What’s the meaning behind Us And The Night?
I think the title has definitely a special meaning to us. I think it’s a snapshot of where the band’s been through the last five years. Losing two members and gaining two members I feel like we were kind of fighting against the buttons. We needed to find our way back to the light and we were in the dark at night just alone trying to figure out this theme and trying to figure out what we needed to do. I think that was the process of writing the record, the process of having new members, and the process of where the band is and has been.
You worked with producer Matt Wallace [Maroon 5, Train, Faith No More] on this new album. How was it like to work with him?
He brought a different spirit to the record. It was a partnership and he was also like a coach. He coached us how to mix and how to do things properly. He also brought all his ideas in that way and we tried different things because of that.
Besides music, what other outlets you like to spend time with?
I’m addicted to Crossfit. That’s my whole life pretty much outside the band. Just being healthy and eating right, just doing the right for my body and just exercise my body and mind.
You’re also vegan, which is amazing! Is it hard for you to maintain that?
Yeah, it’s really hard, because not everyone gets you and you have to defend yourself to everyone. It’s a rough thing and I find that while being on the road and being in different places. It’s almost impossible to get enough to eat sometimes, because people just don’t care that you care, you know what I mean? They could care less that you’re trying to eat for the environment or for your health or for anything else, they don’t care and it’s up to you to kind of defend for yourself. It’s definitely hard, but it’s possible.