Staind and Hoobastank

It has been said that first impressions last a lifetime. Luckily for Staind, some only last for about 45 minutes. After a volatile disagreement with Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst over some of Staind’s early cover art, it seemed their big break had walked out the door. Fortunately, by the time Durst had witnessed Staind’s intense live show, he was ready to exchange phone numbers. <br><br> Staind’s story began in the New England area when vocalist Aaron Lewis and guitarist Mike Mushok met at a Christmas party in 1993. Mushok was able to bring drummer Jon Wysocki into the fold, and Lewis’ connection with a bass player (who later left) completed the early lineup. Establishing themselves took time, and extensive touring of the Northeast with other established metal acts helped them sell over 2,000 copies of their self-released debut in just over a year. They were primed for their big break, and on October 23, 1997, the hard work paid off. <br><br> At a show in Hartford, Connecticut, Staind were all set to open for Limp Bizkit when Bizkit singer Durst raised a stink over cover art on Staind’s self-released CD. After a heated conversation over whether or not Staind were Satan worshipers, Durst forcefully returned the disc to the band, and walked away. But 45 minutes later Durst was back, not to further the argument, but to make sure he kept in contact with Staind. Blown away by their live show, Durst exchanged phone numbers, and loved their demo tape when they gave it to him. He convinced them to travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to work on the new songs. <br><br> Dysfunction After reworking the new material and a successful live show, Durst contacted the head of Flip Records and arranged a meeting for Staind with the label. While in Los Angeles, a three-song sampler was recorded, and by the time February rolled around in 1998, the band had a record deal. After playing the Vans Warped Tour, they began work on their first album, Dysfunction. The album was produced by Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera, Soundgarden) and was released April 13, 1999. A tour with Kid Rock followed that spring and later the band reunited with good friends Limp Bizkit for a summer tour. Break the Cycle Their follow-up, Break the Cycle, enjoyed a prolonged visit at the number one spot on U.S. charts in 2001. Smash hits like “It’s Been a While,” “Fade,” “For You,” and “Epiphany” catapulted Staind into the mainstream, leaving their 2002 DVD MTV Unplugged to go gold. Staind released 14 Shades of Grey in spring 2003, and after a two-year break returned with the chart-topping Chapter V, named to include their self-released debut in the Staind canon. A Singles and Videos compilation arrived in 2006, followed by the all-new studio album Illusion of Progress in 2008, the latter of which debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The band’s eponymous seventh studio album, which saw the departure of longtime drummer Jon Wysocki, arrived on September 13, 2011. Later that year, the band recruited drummer Sal Giancarelli and hit the road, documenting the tour with 2012’s Live from Mohegan Sun, which captured the tour’s first show.

<p> <strong><u>HOOBASTANK</u></strong> </p> <p> <strong></strong> </p> <p> <strong><em>Doug Robb: </em></strong> <em>Lead vocals/rhythm guitar<strong></strong></em> </p> <p> <strong><em>Dan Estrin: </em></strong> <em>Lead guitar/keyboards<strong></strong></em> </p> <p> <strong><em>Chris Hesse: </em></strong> <em>Drums/percussion/backing vocals</em> </p> <p> <strong><em>Jesse Charland</em></strong> <em>: bassist/keyboardist/backing vocals</em> </p> <p> <strong> <em> “Analyzing what went wrong/instead of celebrating what’s right” </em> </strong> <strong> “Push Pull”</strong> </p> <p> <strong></strong> </p> <p> Sometimes even <strong>a multi-platinum band</strong> with <strong>three GRAMMY nominations</strong> under their belt needs the kind of pop talk which helped inspire <strong>Hoobastank’s</strong> sixth studio album, <strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong>, their first since 2012’s <strong><em><u>Fight or Flight</u></em></strong>, and debut for noted rock independent label <strong>Napalm Records</strong>. </p> <p> “We never stopped exchanging musical ideas,” says vocalist/guitarist <strong>Doug Robb</strong>, who co-founded the band with high school classmates, <strong>Dan Estrin</strong> and <strong>Chris Hesse</strong>, almost 20 years ago in Agoura Hills, CA, a suburb of <strong>Los Angeles</strong> he still calls home. “We waited until we had enough material to start recording an album. We love creating music, even if no one else ever hears it.” </p> <p> <strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong> , so named for the power struggles and codependency that goes on within any long-term relationship--including, but not only, marriage and a rock band--was produced by longtime pal (but first-time collaborator) <strong>Matt Wallace</strong> at his <strong>Studio Deluxe</strong> facility in the heart of the band’s San Fernando Valley turf. Sifting through the musical demos provided by both <strong>Estrin</strong> and bassist <strong>Jesse Charland</strong> (a band member since 2009), then<strong>Robb’s</strong> lyrical and melodic ideas, <strong>Wallace </strong>provided not just the requisite encouragement, but the creative midwifery, which set the wheels in motion for the album. The result nails a bull’s-eye to the underappreciated ‘Stank’s sweet spot--t <strong>he large-scale, muscular ‘80s-‘90s alternative rock </strong>of U2, Duran Duran, INXS and even Tears for Fears, whose “Heads Over Heels” gets a brawny, Bowiesque take on the new collection. </p> <p> “There were always plenty of demos floating back and forth; some of them I played for Matt even before the rest of the band heard them,” says <strong>Dan</strong> about the record’s conception, which took place over a two-year period </p> <p> Freed from the pressures of a hovering major label, listening to critical jibes or even the expectations of their fans, <strong>Hoobastank</strong> approached <strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong> with the swagger and confidence of a band whose <strong> first three albums all went either gold, platinum or multi-platinum </strong> , <strong>“The Reason” </strong>garnering<strong>GRAMMY nominations</strong> for<strong>“Song of the Year,” “Best Rock Album”</strong> and <strong>“Best Pop Performance”</strong> for a Duo or Group. Of course, about that name, which means, exactly what?... </p> <p> “Sometimes you make dumb decisions when you’re young, and that might have been one of them,” laughs <strong>Robb</strong> about being the punchline to <em>SNL</em> jokes and snooty rock critic snipes. “It’s too late trying to peel that off and start something else at this point.” </p> <p> As for the formidable bar-setting success of <strong>“The Reason,” Doug</strong> is similarly sanguine. </p> <p> “We finally stopped attempting to recreate any formula,” he says. “Instead of trying to be trendy or anticipating how people will react, we did what made us happy. We played to our strengths. Take it or leave it.” </p> <p> That go-for-broke theme is best expressed in<strong>“Just Let Go (Who Cares if We Fall),”</strong> which sums up<strong>Hoobastank’s</strong> attitude. “At least we get to fly,” sings <strong>Robb</strong>. “Learning to swim’/Is more than just learning how not to drown.” </p> <p> <br> In the title track and <strong>“More Beautiful,” Dou</strong>g unleashes his falsetto, while the <strong>funky R&amp;B</strong> feel is a tribute to <strong> Dan’s early, late-‘90s penchant for Chic and “groove-based” dance music </strong> . “When we first met, he didn’t even own a distortion pedal,” laughs <strong>Doug</strong> about his guitarist’s love of soul and R&amp;B. </p> <p> Comparing the requirements of keeping both a marriage and a rock band thriving (it has to do with communication),<strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong> songs like<strong>“True Believer”</strong> and<strong>“Buzzkill (Before You Say Goodbye)”</strong> show <strong>Hoobastank</strong> maturing from adolescent to adult relationships, often examining the difficulty of keeping alive the sexuality that fuels them. <strong>“We Don’t Need the World” </strong>and <strong>“There Will Never Be Another”</strong> explore the protective bubble and the memories which also bind two people together.<strong>Doug’s</strong> lyrics to the headphones-worthy <strong>“Fallen Star</strong><strong>”</strong> were inspired by a memory of him watching television one night and seeing a military family of a soldier who had died in combat. It made him think of the brave men and women who serve and even more so now the parents of those who serve. Being a parent now it clicked, the unbelievable sacrifice made by both soldier and their families. “I wanted to say thank you” says <strong>Doug</strong>. </p> <p> “I usually work best with personal experiences, what’s going on with my wife, kids, the band and our fans,” says <strong>Robb</strong>. “Those are my family.” </p> <p> With <strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong>, <strong>Hoobastank</strong> look back to the future, combining the best of what brought them here and establishing their<strong>presence in the current pop-rock spectrum</strong>. When <strong>Dan’s</strong> asked whether the simple act of recording and releasing these songs provided its own reward, he notes, “That’s what the voice in my head tells me. But then there’s the voice inside the voice that says, ‘You dumb mother***ker. <em>Of course</em> you want this thing to be huge.’” </p> <p> <strong>Estrin </strong> grows serious. “We’ve been doing this from day one because we love it,” he says. “We didn’t do it for money or fame. It was our drug. Didn’t need anything more than that. This is still like summer camp for adults. But these days, even my mom asks if there’s a hit on the new record.” </p> <p> Check out <strong><em><u>Push Pull</u></em></strong> and make <strong>Dan’s</strong> mom proud. </p>