Interview with Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down (NY Rock)

Related Artists:
- Creed
- Bush
- Matchbox 20
- Stone Temple
Pilots

Seemingly overnight, five boys from Mississippi broke onto the music scene and proceeded to break both hearts and records in no time flat. The band, 3 Doors Down, became the first debut act in the history of the charts to be number one at modern rock, active rock, album rock, and heritage rock simultaneously (with their debut single “Kryptonite”). They have since released their latest single, “Loser,” which is currently catching up to “Kryptonite” on the charts.

During a recent Park Avenue party thrown by Universal Records to celebrate the platinum-achieving status of the band’s debut release The Better Life, NY Rock freelancer Alice Hammond met up with lead vocalist Brad Arnold for a brief chat. The conversation, which inspired Alice to report back that “it’s difficult to get blood from a stone, especially a stoned stone,” follows below.

NYROCK:

I've read that you stress your band is straight-up rock 'n' roll as opposed to hardcore, metal, or any other genre. Is it important to you not to be categorized?

BRAD:

Definitely, we never really tried to categorize it. It's nothing made up. What you see is what you get.

NYROCK:

Who are your influences?

BRAD:

Uh, it's really hard to put a finger on it. A little bit of everything. Everything I hear and everything around me.

NYROCK:

What kind of reaction do you get being the drummer and the lead singer?

BRAD:

I used to be the drummer, but since we made the album we hired somebody else. So now I'm just the singer.

NYROCK:	How do you like that?	^{Top: (L to R) Todd Harrell (bass), Matt Roberts (guitar), Chris Henderson (guitar), Rich (drums). Bottom: Brad Arnold (vocals)}
BRAD:	It's a lot more fun being out front. You can interact with the fans a lot.
NYROCK:	How do you feel about the Napster controversy? Do you take a side?
BRAD:	I don't ever watch TV.
NYROCK:	What about the Internet?
BRAD:	There's not a whole lot of opportunity.


NYROCK:	You've got a cute [southern] accent.
BRAD:	I can't help it. I tried to lose it, but I couldn't.
NYROCK:	What haven't you been asked tonight?
BRAD:	I've been asked everything.

NYROCK:

Tell me something your fans don't know about you?

BRAD:

I think they know everything. I don't think there's a whole lot they don't know.

July 2000

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