American Pride
A Revealing Interview with 3 Doors Down
Guitarist Chris Henderson

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Three years ago, when 3 Doors Down burst on the scene with The Better Life, most people were caught by surprise.   The record had come out of nowhere to get as high as number seven on the charts and score some huge hits, with “Kryptonite” and “Loser” both making it to number one in a variety of categories.  The band no one had heard of from Escatawpa, Mississippi exploded in what seemed like no time, as their brand of modern alt-rock was inescapable on both radio and TV.  

Fueled by the double guitar attack of Chris Henderson and Matt Roberts supporting drummer-turned-frontman Brad Arnold, 3 Doors Down (which also includes bassist Todd Harrell and new drummer Daniel Adair) came to symbolize honest music that people could easily relate to: true American rock.

The question, of course, was: what would they do for a follow-up?   It’s the classic sophomore question that plagues most bands.  Once you have huge success from your first album, how do you avoid becoming one of the many, many bands that have never been heard from again?

The answer comes in the form of Away From The Sun, a record that, if anything, shows that 3 Doors Down are capable of far more than even The Better Life and it’s six million records sold let on.  With Away From The Sun already platinum and lead single “When I’m Gone” having hit number one, it’s clear that the guys, along with producer Rick Parashar, have established themselves as one of the premier rock bands on the scene today.

3 Doors Down have been busy: continuing on a trend they established on their first record, the band is touring constantly, including a series of stops in Europe where the band played exclusive shows for American troops stationed abroad, one of which took place on an aircraft carrier.  Chances are, if you wait a few weeks or months, 3 Doors Down will be back in your neck of the woods.  Either that, or they just left.

We had a chance to catch up with guitarist Chris Henderson while the band was making it’s way across America.  Here’s what Chris had to say:

VOX: How did you guys feel coming away from the Naval tour?
Chris Henderson: It was a great experience.  I spent some time in the military, and I will tell you it was nice to be there, but it was great because I didn’t have to sweep one floor and I didn’t have to pick up a mop.  Touring like that, basically out of an airplane, is exhausting.  By the time we were done, we were all wiped out.

In the end though, you realize that in a couple of weeks we had done some good for a lot of those guys.
VOX: What branch of the military were you in?
Chris: I was in the Navy.
VOX: For how long?
Chris: Eleven years total – 4 years active duty and seven years in the reserves.

VOX: What affected you guys the most from the tour?  What did you take away from it?
Chris: For me, I realized that those guys are away from home for so long, so many months, without benefit of a cell phone, maybe they have e-mail, and they miss their families so much.

Man, they treated us like family, like royalty, almost.  I would love to do that again.  You also meet guys, some maybe 17-years old, and their Americans serving our nation, and they’ve never even set foot in America, really.   They were born in Germany, Italy or someplace like that, into a military family, and they’ve spent their lives around the military and now decided to serve America too.  And these kids have never been to a concert – they’ve listened to the music, but they haven’t had the chance to really get up close to it.

VOX: You guys have come across as being supportive of the troops, but you’re in a business that is traditionally left-leaning and it seems you’ve gotten some flak from some people about it.  Where do you guys come down on the issue?
Chris: I’m supportive of our troops, our country, and our president, one hundred percent.  I know some artists us their popularity to slam the president through their music or TV shows, but come on!  It just seems to be in such bad taste to me.  I understand that part of being an American is freedom speech, but give me a break!  It’s like, if you can’t be supportive when our boys are laying their lives on the line, then get the hell out of here.

I look at it this way, the soldiers would go to the moon to defend our freedoms, and they’re sure not doing it for the money, which me, you and everyone else is here enjoying those freedoms.  I don’t see how anyone can not be supportive when they [soldiers] are over there getting killed.

VOX: Let’s talk about Away From The Sun – the writing seems to take a very different slant.  Where The Better Life seemed to deal with relationships, this record seems to deal a lot with the effect that touring has on the band and on those relationships. 
Chris: Absolutely – we were out on the road for 19 months, and when you’re in a band, you write about what you know, and our only experience for the better part of two years was touring.  We’re the type of band who write from the heart.  I suppose we could make shit up, but that’s not our style.

Touring like that is really hard, you know.  The first time out was a lot of growing pains for us.  You’re family is far away and you definitely don’t have the comforts of home.  Now we have family out most of the time, so it’s gotten a lot easier to deal with.

VOX: Do you feel like 3 Doors Down, as a band, has really found its niche in rock music?
Chris: Um, I don’t know…we’re working really hard and we’re out there playing every day, so I hope so.  I don’t see us trying to be anything other than a rock band, that’s for sure.

VOX: Has the idea of fame really set in?  What’s it like to go back home now?
Chris: You know, I am who I am, and that hasn’t changed.  I come from a really small town where everyone knows me, but that’s the way it’s always been.  We got really big really fast, but it didn’t change who I was. I still go to the same grocery store, still pump my own gas at the same gas station and still eat at the same restaurants and I still live right on down the same road.  I know there were some people who were like, “Here’s this guy and he’s this and that.”  But that was them changing or assuming things about me, not me doing anything differently.  I’m not in some Mercedes driving through town acting like I own the place or anything.
VOX: What has been the biggest price of fame?
Chris: Privacy in general, I think.  I’m not really home that often, but when I am, I need some down time.  I had to put up a big fence at home to keep some privacy.  People want to stop and talk, and if you don’t stop, they say stuff like “He’s a dickhead” or something like that, when maybe I just don’t have the time or I’m not feeling well or whatever.  They don’t really know what’s going on with you; they just make an assumption.  It’s hard to stop for everybody.

VOX: Has your guitar playing improved in the past few years, or do you not really get a chance to practice your chops?
Chris: I try to practice when I can, but that doesn’t happen often.  My live playing has gone through the roof, or at least I think so. [Laughs] Let’s hope so anyway…I’m not working on scales or any theory though.  That stuff has regressed a little, I’m sure.

The answer is no, I don’t really practice.  When I’m home I spend all the time I can with my kids, and it sort of seems like it would be an injustice to them to spend the time practicing chops when I could be playing with them.

VOX: What guitars are you playing?
Chris: PRS [Paul Reed Smith] Customs, with the single cutaway.   They’re beautiful guitars, and they hold their tone so well.  We beat the crap out of them on tour, and they don’t show the same flaws that other guitars show.   I never gave to worry about them.

VOX: What’s coming up for you guys?
Chris: We’ll continue to tour.  We’ve got some stuff coming up that’ll be fun at Charlotte, a big surprise for the NASCAR fans.  I can’t let the cat out of the bag on that one yet, but it’s gonna be great.

After this leg is wrapped up, we’ll take a week off and then head out with Our Lady Peace.