When it came time to write songs for the new 3 Doors Down album, singer Brad Arnold said he and the band tried to think outside the box. Even more than that, they attempted to throw the box away completely.
It had been a few years since the rockers came together to produce a new studio album, so they had a lot of material and experience from which to pull. The result? Their biggest and boldest album yet, they say.
Titled "Us and the Night," the new album, released last Friday, features rock anthems -- some with a fresh sound. Arnold, 37, says they didn't want to rule anything out creatively. Plus, with a couple of new band members in the mix, they felt comfortable experimenting. In the end, though, they just wanted to have fun, he says.
That's been the goal since 3 Doors Down formed in Mississippi in the late '90s, a few years before rising to fame with their debut album, "The Better Life," which featured massive hit "Kryptonite."
Shortly before that album surfaced, Arnold had been working at an electric motor shop, driving a forklift with a dream to become a full-time musician. He and the guys had been playing music live and also recorded a CD that they gave to a local radio station. "Kryptonite" gained traction, and soon, they got the call to head to New York to play a showcase at CBGB music club.
"My boss let me off for the weekend. We were really busy at the time," Arnold recalled during an interview with AOL Build. "He said, 'Go on up there, son. Play a show!'" 3 Doors Down spent a long weekend in New York, and when Arnold showed up for work on Tuesday (with his "shop shirt" on) his boss just knew. "You quit, don't you, boy?" he said before Arnold revealed that a record label had signed 3 Doors Down. His boss assured him that if the music thing didn't work out, he could always get his job back.
Well, you know the rest.
"Kryptonite" shot up the charts, followed by successful singles "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You." Now 16 years later, they're still at it, with a new album, a recent appearance on "Good Morning America" and a tour in the works.
Arnold never had to wear that shop shirt again.
Check out the video below for AOL Build's interview with 3 Doors Down.
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