Backstage Pass with Grammy Award Nominated Rock Band, A What's Up? Media Exclusive Interview with Founding Guitarist Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down.
By Nicole Gould
Popularly known for “Kryptonite,” “Here Without You,” “When I’m Gone,” and so many more, 3 Doors Down recently released their sixth full-length album, Us and the Night.
This multiplatinum Mississippi rock band has received many accolades that include selling 16 million albums globally, receiving three Grammy nominations, winning two American Music Awards, and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting – including “Songwriter of the Year”.
3 Doors Down will perform at the Ravens Countdown to Kickoff Party presented by Miller Lite as part of their Us and the Night tour on Friday, September 9th at Maryland State Fairgrounds. Gates open at 5 p.m. and is open to all ages. Regular admission is $10 advance and $20 day of event.
We had the chance to catch up with founding guitarist Chris Henderson, see what he had to say below.
Do you ever ing back the older stuff when your performing or do you mostly stick to performing your new music?
We play everything from the beginning to the end. We play a lot of new stuff, a lot of old stuff, and everything in between. We try to play something from all those years. We have fans that have stuck with us through all of that.
What is your favorite throwback to perform?
“Duck and Run,” its high energy and it’s fun to play.
What are you looking forward to most touring with your new album, Us and the Night?
Just playing some shows, getting out in front of different people, and continuing to do what we do. It’s been good, people seem to like it. They sing the songs when we play them, that’s always a good sign.
Where is your all-time favorite place to perform?
Big fan of Germany, I really like it because they mix the old with the new, the culture with the non-culture, you get the whole planet mixed into one. You get a little bit of America, a little bit of Europe, and little bit of that. I’ve been there 20 or so times.
What can fans expect when they come to see you perform?
It’s a rock show. There’s no Cirque du Soleil people coming out of the rafters. Its four guys playing an instrument. We don’t do any cussing on stage. It’s not a wholesome show. It’s pretty PG 13. We like it that way and were proud of that. It’s a lot of fun. We play the songs and they’re is hardly anything we do on stage that you won’t hear, we do everything.
What originally got you into music and why the guitar?
Music is in my blood. My mom was a church organizer and my other is a professional musician. There was always someone practicing at the house, or doing some sort of concert when I was growing up. Mostly girls kept me into it. Once I found out girls liked guitars that’s what I was going with.
I know that you've been a part of the Navy. Does the band ever do any special performances or things involving the Navy, military, etc.?
We’re pretty much the military band and have been doing it since day one, never stopped. We play several shows for anches of the services. “Citizen Soldier” was written specifically for the National Guard. We’ve done a lot of stuff. The only thing different is the crowd. We put on the same show, just go to different places to do it. You end up in a lot of weird places, it’s pretty cool. You get the chance to see a lot of different places not many people get to see.
When you're not touring/on the road, what are your favorite things to do?
I’m a huge CrossFit fan, I love it. Pretty much anything in the gym that I can do. I spend a lot of my time in CrossFit running, or Olympic lifting. I was 280 lbs. and got tired of being fat. I started working, I went from there and I never looked back.
Who would you say was your musical inspiration?
Many different people. Not anyone specifically. I was kind of a chameleon when it came to music. Listened to whatever I could. I looked up to the genre of metal, ’80s metal, and death metal bands. Took different pieces from many many different people.
What advice would you give to new artists?
I would say to keep your eye on the prize, no one in the band is bigger than the band. The band isn’t bigger than the songs. The songs are number one, the band is number two, and everyone in the band is number three. Once you get that figured out, don’t take it too seriously. Accept when luck is on your side and take it. Also know when to say no. You don’t have to play every show that comes by. Be smart and save your money.
