Surfacing

“One-X”

Three Days Grace

Jive

Artist info: Three Days Grace, a Canadian hard-rock band, does a lot of soul-searching on its new record. The songs were worked out acoustically in the initial stages, but the resulting album is a hard-hitting slamfest, examining the surreal alienation musicians can experience during months on the road. Adam Gontier’s lyrics speak for those who are surrounded by many and yet connected with few. As drummer Neil Sanderson says, “The whole process tuned us into the phenomenon of urban isolation -- being in a big city, where people are inches away, but you feel miles apart. We’re used to the opposite, being from rural Ontario, where you’re miles away physically, but you feel inches apart.”

Back story: The band began as a five-piece in 1992 in Norwood, Ontario, the hometown of Gontier and bassist Brad Walst, but became a trio in 1997. They played any gig they could, including opening for a movie. After a move to Toronto, they met producer Gavin Brown, who helped them get a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing Canada. Future single “(I Hate) Everything About You” emerged and led to interest from Jive Records executives who traveled from New York through a Canadian blizzard to see the band. The label’s president was impressed enough to sign them in 2002 and the self-titled first album was released in 2003, selling 1.2 million copies. For the new album, lead guitarist Barry Stock was added to make it a four-piece.

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Influences: Helmet, Kyuss, Sunny Day Real Estate.

Trivia: Gontier says, “People think that because of our lyrics, I’m a dark person. But I mostly write songs when I’m mad.”