Good
Charlotte Takes On 'Life And Death' By
Margo Whitmire
www.billboard.com
"I wear black
on the outside because that's how I feel on the inside," Good Charlotte's
Joel Madden deadpans when describing his romantic outlook. Though it's
surprising to hear the lead singer of a multiplatinum pop/punk band with a heavy
female following quote Morrissey, it's this darker theme that drives the group's
third Daylight/Epic Records effort, "The Chronicles of Life and
Death," released on Oct. 5.
The band's signature backdrop of heavy drums and bouncing guitars is in place
for the 14-track set, recorded during seven months at producer Eric Valentine's
Barefoot Studios in Los Angeles. But elements of British punk and arena rock
showcase the group's changing style.
"It was where we had to go as a band. We couldn't remake our last album as
much as some people might have wanted us to, or expected us to," Madden
says. "Our fans just want us to be honest, and that's an ongoing theme
throughout this record. The music is the natural progression of changes we've
gone through, but I don't think it's so far-fetched where [our fans] won't
accept it."
In 2002, Good Charlotte rocketed to the forefront of the pop/punk world with its
sophomore effort, "The Young and the Hopeless." The album bowed at No.
7 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 117,000 copies, while hit
singles "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," "Boys and
Girls" and "Anthem" boosted the former modern rock band into
mainstream top 40 territory. With MTV's "Total Request Live" crowd
behind it, the album has gone on to sell 3 million copies in the United States,
according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album has remained on The Billboard 200
since its debut.
"Originally it's the only thing we could play," Madden says of the
group's sound, which is heavily influenced by pop/punk acts like Green Day and
Rancid. "That's always going to be an element of our music because that's
part of who we are as a band, but [on "The Young and the Hopeless"] we
were a lot younger and had a lot to prove, whether we realized it, or tried to
maybe think we didn't."
With such songs as "The Truth" and "Ghost of You" -- a
rocking retrospective penned by guitarist/keyboardist Billy Martin -- the new
album delves into darker waters lyrically than previous efforts, though first
single "Predictable" showcases the frenetic energy and rousing
choruses that have made Good Charlotte a crossover success.
"There's a lot more variation on ["The Chronicles of Life and
Death"]. The band has widened the texture of their music with all kinds of
instruments and strings, and lyrically, it has some poignant, intense moments.
It's a very global-feeling album with genuine global hits," says executive
VP of worldwide A&R for Sony Music U.S. and International David Massey, who
signed the group to his Epic imprint Daylight for its self-titled 2000 debut.
"They've retained their roots," Massey says, "and people who love
them from the first album will absolutely love this record, but it widens them
significantly and definitely puts them on another level."
The new album is available in two versions: a "life" version and a
"death" version, each featuring a different bonus track and cover
illustration by Martin.
The Waldorf, Md., quintet-which includes Madden's twin brother,
guitarist/vocalist Benji; bassist Paul Thomas; and drummer Chris Wilson-will
head out on a co-headlining tour with fellow pop/punk band Sum 41. The jaunt
kicks off Oct. 21 at Seattle's Paramount Theatre. The outing includes acts Hazen
Street and Lola Ray, both of which are signed to the Madden brothers' DC Flag
Records.
While on tour, Madden says he will work on projects with the writing team the
Dead Executives. The BMI group, which includes the Madden brothers and
Goldfinger singer/guitarist John Feldmann, expect to start writing songs for
other artists soon.
But for now, Good Charlotte comes first.
"As a band, we're so much happier right now than we've ever been,"
Madden says. "We keep growing and getting even happier, and we're so
excited to be playing music together right now, because we really did get to try
new things. It's a good time to be in Good Charlotte."
