Final November, Canadian rockers THREE DAYS GRACE launched “Mayday”, their first single for the reason that return of unique frontman Adam Gontier. The 46-year-old musician, who left THREE DAYS GRACE in 2013, is sharing lead vocals within the band’s new lineup with singer Matt Walst, who has fronted THREE DAYS GRACE for the previous decade.
In a brand new interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was requested the way it feels to be again in THREE DAYS GRACE after such an extended absence. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Effectively, I believe extra pleasure than something, man. ‘Trigger it is simply been so lengthy. And it simply felt like the suitable time — it felt like the suitable time for everyone. So, yeah, simply pleasure and form of able to go.”
He continued: “It took a short while to attach with the fellows and do a pair reveals collectively, a pair issues, however, yeah — simply extra pleasure than something, and positively some nostalgia, clearly. However, yeah, I believe everyone’s actually, actually enthusiastic about this subsequent chapter. It is gonna be fairly the yr, I believe.”
Concerning the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE‘s new lineup, Adam mentioned: “Yeah, I used to be simply speaking with any individual about that. We obtained form of — not fortunate, however our voices do mix very well collectively. And we have observed it clearly far more now with making the report and recording and all these things that, yeah, our voices actually mix effectively. Yeah, so we’re lucky for that, that it is understanding the best way we had hoped.”
Gontier added: “It has been nice, man. It is cool. Matt grew up with the band. He is Brad‘s [Walst, THREE DAYS GRACE bassist] little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a bit man. So I believe for them it was a pure match to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we’re just, like] — let’s do it collectively.”
Requested how he and Matt delegate the vocal tasks on THREE DAYS GRACE‘s new materials, together with “Mayday”, Adam mentioned: “Yeah, that is what we have been doing. I imply, we’re all form of writing the brand new stuff collectively, so we have been sitting in a room collectively, arising with all this materials and stuff… We’re in a room collectively and arising with all that stuff… However yeah, I believe the recording of vocals, who’s gonna sing what and the place, it is come fairly pure. There’s sure elements that we each now know, like, ‘It’d make extra sense for me to sing this half otherwise you to sing this half.’ And on the similar time, working with a few totally different producers on stuff, we did get some guys that might have some good enter and simply a good suggestion of what to do with two singers, ‘trigger it hasn’t actually been performed earlier than — not on this world. So we wanna be sure that we’re doing it proper. So getting an outdoor standpoint from a producer or one thing to place his two cents on the place the fellows ought to go and that form of factor, that is helped out rather a lot too. However, yeah, typically, it has been fairly seamless. The entire thing has been very easy to navigate by.”
“Mayday” was produced by Zakk Cervini and Dan Lancaster with vocal manufacturing by Howard Benson. As well as, the band launched an epic CiRCUS HEaD-directed visible to accompany the observe which might be discovered beneath.
In a December 2024 interview with “Whiplash”, the KLOS radio present hosted by Full Metallic Jackie, Adam was requested if “Mayday” is an efficient illustration of the fabric that can ultimately seem on THREE DAYS GRACE‘s subsequent studio album. He responded: “I believe it is fairly shut. Yeah, we have been doing a whole lot of writing and we have got plenty of songs performed and we’re fairly near ending an album.
“I believe it was fairly necessary for us to form of get some components in these songs that had been tremendous basic THREE DAYS GRACE with some newer components as effectively,” he defined. “So I believe ‘Mayday’ is an efficient illustration of that. It is a fairly heavy tune, nevertheless it’s obtained all the pieces else that we wished to have in there. So, yeah, I believe it is fairly shut.”
Requested if there was ever any doubt “Mayday” could be the primary tune to introduce this iteration of the band, Matt mentioned: “We discovered with ‘Mayday’ — we listened to, clearly, our concepts and our songs rather a lot, and with ‘Mayday’, we form of all discovered we by no means obtained sick of it. Personally, too, I listened to it again and again, and I did not get sick of it. And it takes you on this type of journey all through it, and it isn’t tremendous predictable. And, yeah, [we] simply discovered it was recent.”
Matt additionally talked about how the thought for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE took place. He mentioned: “I believe someday I simply talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, ‘It might be sick if Adam got here again. And we might each sing, and I can sing the songs of the previous 10 years and Adam may even sing just a few of these too.’ And yeah, it simply looks as if a brand new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it thrilling, just like the early days or simply to freshen it up and, yeah, make it thrilling.”
In November, THREE DAYS GRACE drummer Neil Sanderson informed 100.3 The X Rocks in regards to the progress of the recording periods for the band’s subsequent LP: ”We’re feeling fairly good as a result of the [new THREE DAYS GRACE full-length] report’s nearly performed. We have stuff that we nonetheless have to report, however we’re form of able the place if a brand new tune comes alongside and it beats out one of many songs that now we have, then cool. So, that is relieved a little bit of stress. It is not like we’re sitting right here with a single popping out and we do not have a report prepared. It is fairly effectively able to go. However waking it up day-after-day, and, ‘Okay, what is the activity at hand?’ In the event you take a look at it, like, ‘Oh my God. We’re occurring a world tour subsequent yr. We have gotta end the report proper now. We have to work out all the pieces for what is going on to occur dwell and rehearsals, then it form of will get a bit of freaky, however we get up and go, ‘Okay, what can we do right now? Let’s do one thing,’ whether or not that is… We’re engaged on some video parts for the present and we have got some new songs that we’re enthusiastic about and simply choosing away at all the pieces. We do not take weekends off and we would must skip Christmas. However apart from that… [Laughs]”
Requested if he and his THREE DAYS GRACE bandmates knew immediately that “Mayday” could be the primary single from the brand new LP, Neil mentioned: “I believe the most important query mark for us was simply the way it was gonna work with the place every singer was gonna go and who was gonna sound sing what. We weren’t actually positive how that was gonna play out. However as soon as we began simply doing it and we had been in a studio and we might simply, like, ‘Hey, do that. Attempt that,’ they usually began singing collectively after which they began working as two vocalists to map out how issues make sense and are significant with who sings what the place, as soon as we realized that that was gonna be natural in nature and simply it made sense and it created a brand new depth for this band, particularly after 22 years of being out, that was once we form of let go of the wheel in a means. In a means, we simply form of, ‘Let’s let it occur.’ And so many of the songs had been like that, the place the fellows form of had a plan on the place all the pieces, how the puzzle items had been gonna match collectively.”
Concerning what was totally different in regards to the recording course of this time round, Sanderson mentioned: “Effectively, I positively will say that we have form of actually leaned into with the ability to report and to collaborate remotely. And I believe we obtained skilled on that in COVID. And there is a whole lot of new studio applied sciences that it actually feels such as you’re in the identical room collectively and also you’re recording collectively although you are hundreds of miles aside. In order that was an enormous one.
“We put out a report known as ‘Explosions’ simply after COVID,” he continued. “In order that report was fairly effectively, nearly solely performed remotely. So we had that device on our belt. After which I believe when it was the notion that, simply leaning into the truth that Matt and Adam simply have actually distinctive voices in their very own proper. And let’s form of hone in on these strengths they usually need not sound like one another. I make the PINK FLOYD reference. Generally Roger Waters form of has that frantic vitality when he sings, and [David] Gilmour form of has a bit extra of a crooner form of [delivery]. Numerous the time Gilmour would sing about stuff, like, ‘Hey, all the pieces’s gonna be okay,’ after which Waters would are available and be, like, ‘Ah, no, it isn’t. And in order that realization, that we are able to try this, and that creates the brand new stage as an alternative of attempting to sound like one another or make it one factor, that was actually liberating. It was actually liberating within the studio to have the ability to know that we might try this.”
In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Neil acknowledged about Adam‘s return to THREE DAYS GRACE: “We had been speaking and we have stored in contact. And the band was simply speaking about, like, how nice would this be for us and for the followers and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. After which he obtained up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], after which we simply thought, ‘Let’s make one thing new. Let’s sit down and write a tune.’ And as soon as we form of obtained into that songwriting course of, it simply felt actually pure and it felt proper. And I believe for the followers, we’re giving them one thing that we have not performed earlier than and hasn’t actually been performed a lot up to now.”
He continued: “On the finish of the day, THREE DAYS GRACE, we’re household. In actual fact, as it’s possible you’ll know, Matt, one in all our singers, is Brad‘s brother. And he form of grew up round THREE DAYS GRACE after which slipped into the place. However we’re actually guitar heavy — we have got a whole lot of guitars occurring and stuff — and people guys [Adam and Matt] each play guitar. So it is gonna be nice to have one other guitar on stage, too, in addition to two singers. So it opens up the door for us to do a whole lot of issues that we would not have been in a position to do earlier than.”
On the subject of the “Mayday” video, Neil mentioned: “It was a extremely enjoyable video to make. It was form of particularly cool for me as a result of very not often as a drummer do you get to make a video the place you do not have to faux enjoying drums all day. [Laughs] And so, yeah, full melee goes on on the aircraft. And it is form of an analogy to only feeling like we’re hurling by life at warp velocity, and generally it does not really feel like there’s a pilot that is in command of issues. But it surely’s additionally a little bit of a celebration, like, ‘Hey, if we’re taking place, we’re all taking place collectively.'”
THREE DAYS GRACE teased a reunion with Gontier lower than 5 months in the past by posting a voicemail message wherein Adam informed Matt that he would “be on the studio quickly, should you can simply let everyone know.”
Gontier mentioned about his return to THREE DAYS GRACE: “I really feel prefer it’s been seamless, higher than we had been anticipating. It is like we obtained again in a room collectively and picked up the place we left off. Now we have been buddies for therefore lengthy, it is form of pure to get again within the room collectively.”
Walst added: “It has been a lot enjoyable and provoking making this report. Combining over 20 years of THREE DAYS GRACE and doing one thing that no band has ever performed. I am excited for the followers to listen to it!”
In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage through the band’s live performance in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates after they opened for SHINEDOWN on the Probst Area At The Von Braun Middle to carry out two basic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE‘s 2006 album “One-X”: “By no means Too Late” and “Riot”.
THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance picture with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: “Soooo we did a factor.”
In July 2022, Gontier mentioned {that a} reunion along with his former bandmates was “possible” to occur “down the highway sooner or later.” The Canadian-born musician made his feedback simply a few weeks after he, Brad and Matt had been inducted into the Norwood District Excessive College Corridor Of Honor in Norwood, Ontario.
Requested in an interview with Rock Feed if he could be open to working with THREE DAYS GRACE once more now that he seems to be on good phrases along with his former bandmates, Gontier mentioned: “You already know what? Yeah. I imply, for positive. We have all grown up. It has been some time. There isn’t any laborious emotions or something like that. We’re all in contact now and we speak and textual content and stuff. We’ve not actually talked about doing something — not but anyway — however I really feel like one thing like that’s most probably down the highway sooner or later,” he added.
When interviewer Brian Storm famous that Adam‘s reunion with THREE DAYS GRACE could be a “huge” deal, Gontier mentioned, “And it could be a whole lot of enjoyable.” Storm then reiterated that the reunion could be “very huge,” to which Adam mentioned: “In all probability could be. You by no means know, man. We’ve not actually talked about it. However, yeah, I assume we’ll see.”
Earlier in July 2022, Brad Walst spoke about reconnecting with Gontier on the Norwood District Excessive College occasion in an interview with Tommy Carroll of the 97.9 WGRD radio station. He mentioned: “It is humorous ‘trigger the highschool’s been calling us for years. And, clearly, we have all had form of totally different schedules, and Adam‘s been doing his factor and we have been doing our factor. And till not too long ago, to be trustworthy, we hadn’t actually spoken that a lot — we would textual content and stuff. However Adam‘s moved again to the realm, and he is obtained an excellent household and an excellent spouse. And we have all form of been chatting and hanging out. Yeah, I known as him and simply mentioned, ‘They need the three of us’ — they need Matt, Adam and myself. And everybody agreed, and it was, like, ‘Okay, let’s do that.’ So it was fairly cool to see [our] highschool, the place you grew up… It is good to be acknowledged.”
He continued: “It is humorous, ‘trigger I texted Adam, ‘You made the Corridor Of Fame.’ He is, like, ‘Yup. Straight-B scholar.’ [Laughs] However I believe simply having us collectively in that room was far more highly effective, for positive. So it was a reasonably cool feeling.”
In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant fashioned GROUNDSWELL whereas many of the members had been nonetheless in highschool. That band broke up in 1995, however two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was changed by Matt, the vocalist from one other Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.
In a 2007 interview with The Oklahoman, Gontier mentioned that he met a few of his first bandmates whereas they had been freshmen at Norwood District Excessive College.
“I ended up hooking up with Brad as a result of we had the identical love of music,” Gontier mentioned. “He did not play something on the time. I advised him getting a bass, and he did.”
Gontier mentioned that Canadian bands, together with THE TRAGICALLY HIP and OUR LADY PEACE had been early influences, together with the Seattle rock scene, significantly the group SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.
Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an habit to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some materials which would seem on THREE DAYS GRACE‘s “One-X” album, together with the songs “Ache” and “Over And Over”.
Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE within the spring of 2013. On the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified “well being points” when his departure was introduced. Adam later launched an announcement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new initiatives, and to not cope with habit.
Gontier is at present a member of SAINT ASONIA, which additionally options STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).
THREE DAYS GRACE‘s newest album, “Explosions”, was launched in Could 2022 by way of RCA Information.
