SAN DIEGO — The original plan for 311's eighth album was to pair producers Ron Saint Germain and David Kahne, but when the latter signed on to helm the next Strokes album instead, 311 turned to the next best thing: themselves.
"It's still two great producers: Ron and 311," bassist P-Nut joked backstage at the recent San Diego Street Scene.
311 co-produced their last two albums as well, but with the just-released Don't Tread on Me the band focused more on returning to its roots than pushing the envelope (see "311's Nick Hexum Cures Post-Election Depression By Diving Into New LP").
"We kind of go through this cycle of one album really trying to reinvent ourselves, which is albums like Transistor and Evolver, and then other albums where we don't try to overthink it and we just let it flow, and that's where we're at with this one," singer Nick Hexum explained. "We actually recorded this album in a third of the time that it took to do Evolver, so it's really a fun summer album with uptempo grooves, the reggae and the rock."
Highlights include "Frolic Room," about Hexum's favorite Hollywood Boulevard dive bar, and "Speak Easy," which features P-Nut on a fretless bass. And there's also a few diversions.
"We've got the slowest 311 song ever, called 'Solar Flare,' which is a scathing political rap that [vocalist] S.A. [Martinez] puts over a really slow, heavy thing," Hexum said. "And then there's also a really fast one called 'It's Getting OK Now,' which is [guitarist] Tim Mahoney channeling Dimebag Darrell [Abbott of Pantera]."
"It's a challenge because there's, like, a really fast [guitar] run," P-Nut added of the latter. "Me and Nick and Tim are all doing it at the same time, so we think we're Van Halen or something for a second. It's great."
The first single is Don't Tread on Me's title track, a reggae jam reminiscent of "First Straw," off the band's Greatest Hits '93-'03.
"I just love the phrase 'don't tread on me,' and it usually has political connotations, but in this particular song, it's not a political song, it's more about feeling frustrated and feeling volatile and just needing some space," Hexum said. "It's a very personal song. But then titling the album Don't Tread on Me and the artwork, there's a few pretty scathing political comments made on there. We didn't want to go all political, but I think in this day and age you kind of need to say what you think about things 'cause it is such a crisis situation."
Hexum has spoken out against President Bush and the war in Iraq (see "311 Singer Nick Hexum Hits The Road To Send Bush On His Way"), and those issues are addressed on the album.
"What's made us such a success over the expanse of time is that we give people a break from all of that, but nowadays we do have to say something about it," P-Nut said. "S.A. and Nick have such right ways of going about it. Instead of just being frustrated and focusing on that, it's about solving problems and being a little upset about what's going on. I don't think anybody really feels in control, and that's one of the scariest things, and how do we deal with that comes out really well."
311 just shot a video for "Don't Tread on Me" with a team called Colourmovie, who filmed the band in front of a green screen for the entire shoot. "They are going to be superimposing all of this really weird atmosphere that we're going to be performing in, so it'll be a surprise to both you and us to see how it turns out," Hexum said.
In the meantime, the band just launched a tour with Papa Roach and Unwritten Law that will last through mid-September (see "311 Take Papa Roach And Unwritten Law On Their Road Trip").
"What I really like about the package is that Unwritten Law was first a straight hardcore band and now they've gone more modern rock, and Papa Roach was like a rap-rock band and they've gone more melodic rock, and I love to see bands that have a second wind and dare to expand their horizons," Hexum said. "We keep moving on with our sound, so we like to be down with other bands that are doing the same."
A college-market winter tour, a spring trek and a summer 2006 tour are also in the works, with the spring dates to include a massive festival March 11 in New Orleans for the band's own annual holiday, 311 Day.
"We found out recently that the past 311 Day [festival] had over 60 percent people from out of state coming there, so obviously it's a destination people like to go to," Hexum said. "And why not go to New Orleans?"
Friday, December 16, 2005
311's Nick Hexum Cures Post-Election Depression By Diving Into New LP
LOS ANGELES — "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
That oft-quoted line from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is how 311 singer Nick Hexum described his autumn, in which he and brother Zack hit the campaign trail in support of John Kerry (see "311 Singer Nick Hexum Hits The Road To Send Bush On His Way").
"The month of October we were so optimistic and we felt so good about what we were doing, and it was an extreme disappointment after the election," Hexum said. "But you know what? I've moved on, and I've just immersed myself in our new album, our eighth album, and it's coming along well, actually."
311's as-yet-untitled follow-up to Evolver will mark yet another turn for the band, which will develop the funk/reggae hybrid it explored on "First Straw," one of two new tracks recorded for a greatest-hits compilation released last summer.
"Our past reggae hits, like 'Amber' and 'Love Song,' have been kind of sleepy and mellow, but I want more danceable, funky reggae," Hexum said. "And then we'll still have the hard rockers in there and the never-heard-before styles. We're just gonna continue the evolution. True 311 fans enjoy the journey.
"I don't mind when people say, 'I love your old stuff,' 'cause that's good enough," he continued. "But I love it when people say, 'I love your latest stuff,' 'cause they're really listening with an open mind. You're obviously gonna have a certain amount of young spunk and energy on your first couple of records that you never exactly get back, but that's why you gotta keep progressing."
Hexum said 311 are looking to U2 for inspiration. "My favorite stuff is like Achtung Baby, Zooropa and even their last album," he explained. "You have to be able to evolve and keep moving to remain relevant. If you're just trying to keep recreating whatever was your first success, then that's a sell-out move, 'cause you're just making a business out of it. We're artists. We really try to stay true to our hearts and make music for our hearts and kind of ignore the marketplace. Even if funky reggae isn't what's on the radio, that's what we're gonna do 'cause that's what we're into."
David Kahne, who produced "First Straw," will return to the fold, along with longtime 311 producer Ron Saint Germain.
"David's done three albums with Paul McCartney, he did Sugar Ray and Sublime, he's a composer, he plays every instrument, so that's fun for me to have someone that can really come and help with that part of it," Hexum said. "And then we've got Ron, who's like the master-engineer-mixer guy. It's kind of a dream team of two producers working together, so it's gonna be kind of a first for us. Hopefully they get along!"
So far 311 have written about 10 tracks and are just waiting for their producers' schedules to clear up. In years past the group has played special shows on March 11 (last year's five-hour extravaganza was recently released on DVD), but 311 will skip their self-declared holiday in 2005.
"We're not doing 311 Day because we don't want to delay the release of the album," Hexum said. "We wanna make sure we get out an album in time for our big summer tour, 'cause that's the best, playing outside. And we'll probably do a fall tour and then do a big 311 Day in 2006. Really, to play a five-hour show takes a lot of conditioning, it takes a month of rehearsals and then at least two weeks of warm-up dates to be really physically ready for that — your throat, your calluses, everything."
Not that he has any regrets from last year. "It was one of the greatest sights of my life, 'cause the fans were up on their feet, rockin' out for all five hours and 68 songs," he said.
That oft-quoted line from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is how 311 singer Nick Hexum described his autumn, in which he and brother Zack hit the campaign trail in support of John Kerry (see "311 Singer Nick Hexum Hits The Road To Send Bush On His Way").
"The month of October we were so optimistic and we felt so good about what we were doing, and it was an extreme disappointment after the election," Hexum said. "But you know what? I've moved on, and I've just immersed myself in our new album, our eighth album, and it's coming along well, actually."
311's as-yet-untitled follow-up to Evolver will mark yet another turn for the band, which will develop the funk/reggae hybrid it explored on "First Straw," one of two new tracks recorded for a greatest-hits compilation released last summer.
"Our past reggae hits, like 'Amber' and 'Love Song,' have been kind of sleepy and mellow, but I want more danceable, funky reggae," Hexum said. "And then we'll still have the hard rockers in there and the never-heard-before styles. We're just gonna continue the evolution. True 311 fans enjoy the journey.
"I don't mind when people say, 'I love your old stuff,' 'cause that's good enough," he continued. "But I love it when people say, 'I love your latest stuff,' 'cause they're really listening with an open mind. You're obviously gonna have a certain amount of young spunk and energy on your first couple of records that you never exactly get back, but that's why you gotta keep progressing."
Hexum said 311 are looking to U2 for inspiration. "My favorite stuff is like Achtung Baby, Zooropa and even their last album," he explained. "You have to be able to evolve and keep moving to remain relevant. If you're just trying to keep recreating whatever was your first success, then that's a sell-out move, 'cause you're just making a business out of it. We're artists. We really try to stay true to our hearts and make music for our hearts and kind of ignore the marketplace. Even if funky reggae isn't what's on the radio, that's what we're gonna do 'cause that's what we're into."
David Kahne, who produced "First Straw," will return to the fold, along with longtime 311 producer Ron Saint Germain.
"David's done three albums with Paul McCartney, he did Sugar Ray and Sublime, he's a composer, he plays every instrument, so that's fun for me to have someone that can really come and help with that part of it," Hexum said. "And then we've got Ron, who's like the master-engineer-mixer guy. It's kind of a dream team of two producers working together, so it's gonna be kind of a first for us. Hopefully they get along!"
So far 311 have written about 10 tracks and are just waiting for their producers' schedules to clear up. In years past the group has played special shows on March 11 (last year's five-hour extravaganza was recently released on DVD), but 311 will skip their self-declared holiday in 2005.
"We're not doing 311 Day because we don't want to delay the release of the album," Hexum said. "We wanna make sure we get out an album in time for our big summer tour, 'cause that's the best, playing outside. And we'll probably do a fall tour and then do a big 311 Day in 2006. Really, to play a five-hour show takes a lot of conditioning, it takes a month of rehearsals and then at least two weeks of warm-up dates to be really physically ready for that — your throat, your calluses, everything."
Not that he has any regrets from last year. "It was one of the greatest sights of my life, 'cause the fans were up on their feet, rockin' out for all five hours and 68 songs," he said.
311's Next Single for Don't Tread on Me
DEVORE, California — 311 have yet to select Don't Tread on Me's second single, and they don't seem too concerned about it.
"I don't really care because in the past it's always been our third single that kinda [takes off]," singer Nick Hexum joked backstage at KROQ-FM's Inland Invasion on Saturday. "The second one's a wash. We're just getting warmed up."
Even so, you have to have number two to get to number three, and 311 can see the follow-up to "Don't Tread on Me" going in a few different directions.
"I think we're gonna leave ourselves open until it's real obvious," said Hexum. "It could be another uptempo one like 'Don't Tread,' or there's a couple of chill, more reggae kind of ballads."
311, who are celebrating their 15-year anniversary, will decide before returning to the road October 19 for a fall tour of mostly college towns. The band is also debating openers for the outing, after taking Papa Roach and Pennywise on a summer tour that just wrapped.
During their monthlong break, Hexum is planning to finish mixing and mastering some tracks he recorded with his brother, Zach Hexum.
"When we went on that political tour supporting Kerry [last fall], a few songs stuck out [because] the way we played them was really cool," Nick said. "So right when the tour ended we went into the 311 studio and recorded six or seven cool covers. I don't know how they will ever come out, but they're just kinda supporting the liberal agenda that me and Zach subscribe to. 311 will always be my main thing, but it's fun to do something you believe in."
Before wrapping the summer trek, 311 staged a few food drives for victims of Hurricane Katrina and will continue helping throughout the fall.
"We can give as much as we can, but to give these people houses again is the ultimate, number-one thing," bassist P-Nut explained. "My brother's an architect, and I'm gonna try to find some low-cost way of [rebuilding] or at least looking into that."
In 2000, 2002 and 2004, 311 staged massive concerts in New Orleans on March 11, better known to fans as 311 Day. Before the hurricane hit, the band was planning to return to the UNO Lakefront Arena in 2006 (see "311's Don't Tread Walks In Footsteps Of Van Halen, Pantera").
"The good news is that the venue does still exist — it never got flooded, it didn't get really damaged," Hexum said. "The question is if the infrastructure in the city would be ready to have that many people. And so we're just trying to think really positive because we loved that city before and now it makes us love it that much more, knowing what's going on there. It'd be such a cool thing to be like, 'Business as usual, back again, you can't take us out.' "
311 will stay on the road well past March, until the end of next summer.
"We're always kinda trying new things, so it takes America a little while to understand what we're doing," Hexum said. "We just have to be more patient, and that's why we're spreading the whole promotion of this album out longer. We're doing four tours to support this album rather than just expecting it to blow up out of the box. That's not gonna happen with us. We're not cookie-cutter enough to blow up that quick. At least we like to think so."
Before their fall trek, 311 will play a free show October 15 in the parking lot of Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium.
311's fall tour dates, according to Jive/Zomba Records:
•10/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium Lot
•10/19 - San Diego, CA @ Soma
•10/20 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
•10/21 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
•10/23 - Sacramento, CA @ Freeborn Hall
•10/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/30 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
•11/1 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
•11/2 - Bozeman, MT @ Valley Ice Garden
•11/5 - Champaign, IL @ Assembly Hall
•11/6 - DeKalb, IL @ Convocation Center
•11/8 - West Lafayette, IN @ Elliott Hall
•11/12 - Lewisburg, PA @ Gerhard Fieldhouse
•11/13 - Allentown, PA @ Memorial Hall
•11/16 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
•11/17 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
•11/18 - Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
•11/23 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
"I don't really care because in the past it's always been our third single that kinda [takes off]," singer Nick Hexum joked backstage at KROQ-FM's Inland Invasion on Saturday. "The second one's a wash. We're just getting warmed up."
Even so, you have to have number two to get to number three, and 311 can see the follow-up to "Don't Tread on Me" going in a few different directions.
"I think we're gonna leave ourselves open until it's real obvious," said Hexum. "It could be another uptempo one like 'Don't Tread,' or there's a couple of chill, more reggae kind of ballads."
311, who are celebrating their 15-year anniversary, will decide before returning to the road October 19 for a fall tour of mostly college towns. The band is also debating openers for the outing, after taking Papa Roach and Pennywise on a summer tour that just wrapped.
During their monthlong break, Hexum is planning to finish mixing and mastering some tracks he recorded with his brother, Zach Hexum.
"When we went on that political tour supporting Kerry [last fall], a few songs stuck out [because] the way we played them was really cool," Nick said. "So right when the tour ended we went into the 311 studio and recorded six or seven cool covers. I don't know how they will ever come out, but they're just kinda supporting the liberal agenda that me and Zach subscribe to. 311 will always be my main thing, but it's fun to do something you believe in."
Before wrapping the summer trek, 311 staged a few food drives for victims of Hurricane Katrina and will continue helping throughout the fall.
"We can give as much as we can, but to give these people houses again is the ultimate, number-one thing," bassist P-Nut explained. "My brother's an architect, and I'm gonna try to find some low-cost way of [rebuilding] or at least looking into that."
In 2000, 2002 and 2004, 311 staged massive concerts in New Orleans on March 11, better known to fans as 311 Day. Before the hurricane hit, the band was planning to return to the UNO Lakefront Arena in 2006 (see "311's Don't Tread Walks In Footsteps Of Van Halen, Pantera").
"The good news is that the venue does still exist — it never got flooded, it didn't get really damaged," Hexum said. "The question is if the infrastructure in the city would be ready to have that many people. And so we're just trying to think really positive because we loved that city before and now it makes us love it that much more, knowing what's going on there. It'd be such a cool thing to be like, 'Business as usual, back again, you can't take us out.' "
311 will stay on the road well past March, until the end of next summer.
"We're always kinda trying new things, so it takes America a little while to understand what we're doing," Hexum said. "We just have to be more patient, and that's why we're spreading the whole promotion of this album out longer. We're doing four tours to support this album rather than just expecting it to blow up out of the box. That's not gonna happen with us. We're not cookie-cutter enough to blow up that quick. At least we like to think so."
Before their fall trek, 311 will play a free show October 15 in the parking lot of Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium.
311's fall tour dates, according to Jive/Zomba Records:
•10/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium Lot
•10/19 - San Diego, CA @ Soma
•10/20 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
•10/21 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
•10/23 - Sacramento, CA @ Freeborn Hall
•10/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
•10/30 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
•11/1 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
•11/2 - Bozeman, MT @ Valley Ice Garden
•11/5 - Champaign, IL @ Assembly Hall
•11/6 - DeKalb, IL @ Convocation Center
•11/8 - West Lafayette, IN @ Elliott Hall
•11/12 - Lewisburg, PA @ Gerhard Fieldhouse
•11/13 - Allentown, PA @ Memorial Hall
•11/16 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
•11/17 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
•11/18 - Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
•11/23 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
When Scott Stapp and members of 311 got together in a Baltimore hotel on Thanksgiving, it wasn't exactly a cordial holiday celebration. In fact, according to 311's Doug "SA" Martinez, it was quite the opposite.
On Thursday night, Martinez, bassist P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton were sitting in the lounge of the Harbor Court Hotel with their wives, watching a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game. Suddenly an "out of his mind" Stapp entered the lounge, and from there things got ugly.
"He was acting out of control, looking for attention and being loud and obnoxious. He walked up to the bar, took a shot of whiskey and then slammed the shot glass down on the bar, and it shattered everywhere," Martinez told MTV News. "Then he got into it with some patrons and all of a sudden he's walking up to us and telling us how much of an inspiration we were to him. And it was nice, but we had all just eaten our Thanksgiving dinner, and he was drunk, so it got really annoying really quickly.
"After a while he went back to the bar and was looking for attention. And then a few minutes later, he came back to the table where my wife was, sat down across from us and wanted attention," Martinez continued. "So eventually, since [no one] was forthcoming, he said some disrespectful things towards my wife and I set my glass down and asked him what he said, and then Chad came over and said, 'Don't talk to her that way,' and Scott got up and Chad followed him."
Martinez said things quickly escalated from there, as Stapp turned and "sucker-punched" Sexton in the face — inadvertently hitting Martinez's wife in the process.
"And all of a sudden it was on. I threw a punch and hit Scott. He went down. Then Chad came over and hit Scott too," Martinez said. "At that point we held Scott down until hotel security came to break it up. Then the police arrived, escorted Scott to his room and then told him to get out of the hotel."
A spokesperson for Stapp did not return MTV News' requests for comment on the altercation, and according to the Baltimore police department, no charges have been filed. The melee left Martinez with a fractured knuckle on his right hand, which he fitted with a soft cast the following day. P-Nut reopened a surgery scar in the fight, though Martinez isn't exactly sure how that happened.
"Everything happened so quickly, man. Like stuff was getting knocked over, and that's maybe how P-Nut got hurt," he said. "I mean, I haven't been in a fight since probably third grade, so the whole thing was pretty surreal. It was out of control. Scott was enraged. And as we were holding him down, I felt really bad for him. I was concerned for him ... But at least the Lakers won."
On Thursday night, Martinez, bassist P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton were sitting in the lounge of the Harbor Court Hotel with their wives, watching a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game. Suddenly an "out of his mind" Stapp entered the lounge, and from there things got ugly.
"He was acting out of control, looking for attention and being loud and obnoxious. He walked up to the bar, took a shot of whiskey and then slammed the shot glass down on the bar, and it shattered everywhere," Martinez told MTV News. "Then he got into it with some patrons and all of a sudden he's walking up to us and telling us how much of an inspiration we were to him. And it was nice, but we had all just eaten our Thanksgiving dinner, and he was drunk, so it got really annoying really quickly.
"After a while he went back to the bar and was looking for attention. And then a few minutes later, he came back to the table where my wife was, sat down across from us and wanted attention," Martinez continued. "So eventually, since [no one] was forthcoming, he said some disrespectful things towards my wife and I set my glass down and asked him what he said, and then Chad came over and said, 'Don't talk to her that way,' and Scott got up and Chad followed him."
Martinez said things quickly escalated from there, as Stapp turned and "sucker-punched" Sexton in the face — inadvertently hitting Martinez's wife in the process.
"And all of a sudden it was on. I threw a punch and hit Scott. He went down. Then Chad came over and hit Scott too," Martinez said. "At that point we held Scott down until hotel security came to break it up. Then the police arrived, escorted Scott to his room and then told him to get out of the hotel."
A spokesperson for Stapp did not return MTV News' requests for comment on the altercation, and according to the Baltimore police department, no charges have been filed. The melee left Martinez with a fractured knuckle on his right hand, which he fitted with a soft cast the following day. P-Nut reopened a surgery scar in the fight, though Martinez isn't exactly sure how that happened.
"Everything happened so quickly, man. Like stuff was getting knocked over, and that's maybe how P-Nut got hurt," he said. "I mean, I haven't been in a fight since probably third grade, so the whole thing was pretty surreal. It was out of control. Scott was enraged. And as we were holding him down, I felt really bad for him. I was concerned for him ... But at least the Lakers won."
311 Prepping New Album For July
Modern rock act 311 will release its next studio album, "Don't Tread on Me," July 26 via Volcano. According to a post from vocalist Nick Hexum on the band's official Web site, songs tipped to make the final cut are "Solar Flair" ("a super slow and heavy rap rocker") and "It's Getting OK Now" ("a fast punk song"), as well as "a handful of reggae-influenced tracks."
"Don't Tread on Me" will be the follow-up to 2003's "Evolver," which debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 323,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. A 2004 "Greatest Hits" package fared even better, selling more than 469,000 units.
311 has begun lining up dates for a summer tour, which will run from July 27 to Sept. 18. A handful of shows will feature Papa Roach and/or Unwritten Law, and 311 is also confirmed to appear July 30 at San Diego's Street Scene festival.
"Don't Tread on Me" will be the follow-up to 2003's "Evolver," which debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 323,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. A 2004 "Greatest Hits" package fared even better, selling more than 469,000 units.
311 has begun lining up dates for a summer tour, which will run from July 27 to Sept. 18. A handful of shows will feature Papa Roach and/or Unwritten Law, and 311 is also confirmed to appear July 30 at San Diego's Street Scene festival.
311 Pushes New Album To August
Although originally expected before the end of the month, 311 has settled on Aug. 16 as the release date for its eighth studio album, "Don't Tread on Me." The Volcano/Jive set will be preceded by the title track as the first radio single, which the label is aiming to impact airwaves around July 25.
Singer SA Martinez says "Don't Tread on Me" has a "great melody with a dope rhythm underneath. Slightly skanky, but in a good way. Catchy, aggressive at times, and never a dull moment. Classic 311."
"The title track is about emotional volatility when you feel like your freedom is being encroached upon," adds singer Nick Hexum. "[Bassist] P-Nut wrote a sweet dub breakdown for this one."
The 11-track album reunites the band with Ron Saint Germain, who produced 311's self-titled third album. Released in 1995, that Capricorn set served as the band's mainstream breakthrough, spawning the enduring modern rock radio tracks "Down" and "All Mixed Up."
Also tapped for the album is the song "Speak Easy," which Martinez says was lyrically inspired by the beliefs of natural scientist/psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. "His belief is that any emotion we carry, we must let out," he says. "Otherwise, this said emotion will sit within us and manifest itself in ways which may not be good for our health," he explains. "We create blocks that turn into physical symptoms that initially were emotions we denied ourselves from experiencing. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it."
Other cuts include "Solar Flare" (Martinez: "This has to be one of the dopest songs we've put together."), "Waiting" (Martinez: "If the Beatles happened to venture to Jamaica instead of India, this song might have happened.") and "Long for the Flowers," which is based on "Grifters," an outtake from the band's 1997 album "Transistor" that has been reworked and re-recorded.
"Don't Tread on Me" is the follow-up to 2003's "Evolver," which debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 324,500 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. A 2004 "Greatest Hits" package fared even better, selling almost 485,000 units. That set included a cover of the Cure's "Love Song" that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock airplay chart.
311 will spend most of the summer on tour, opening their run with a July 27-28 stand in Santa Cruz, Calif. The 40-date outing will close Sept. 17 at KROQ Los Angeles' Inland Invasion show in San Bernadino, Calif. Most shows will feature support from either Papa Roach and Unwritten Law, or both acts on some dates. Also on the itinerary is a July 30 set at the San Diego Street Scene festival and an Aug. 20 slot on the Amsterjam bill at New York's Randall's Island.
Here is the full "Don't Tread on Me" track list:
"Don't Tread on Me"
"Thank Your Lucky Stars"
"Frolic Room"
"Speak Easy"
"Solar Flare"
"Waiting"
"Long for the Flowers"
"Getting Through to Her"
"Whiskey and Wine"
"It's Getting OK Now"
"There's Always an Excuse"
Here are 311's summer tour dates:
July 27-28: Santa Cruz, Calif. (Catalyst)
July 30: San Diego (Street Scene)
Aug. 1: Anaheim, Calif. (The Grove)
Aug. 2: Tucson, Ariz. (Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre)
Aug. 3: Mesa, Ariz. (Mesa Amphitheatre)
Aug. 5: Las Vegas (The Palms Hotel Casino)
Aug. 6: West Valley City, Utah (USANA)
Aug. 7: Morrison, Col. (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
Aug. 9: Council Bluffs, Neb. (Westfair Amphitheatre)
Aug. 10: Columbia, Mo. (Amphitheatre at Mizzou)
Aug. 11: Chicago (Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island)
Aug. 12: Kansas City, Mo. (City Market)
Aug. 14: Columbus, Ohio (Promowest Pavilion)
Aug. 15: Cincinnati, Ohio (Riverbend Amphitheatre)
Aug. 16: Cleveland (Tower City Amphitheatre)
Aug. 17: Sterling Heights, Mich. (Freedom Hill)
Aug. 19: Mansfield, Mass. (Tweeter Center)
Aug. 20: New York (Randall's Island; Amsterjam)
Aug. 21: Old Bridge, N.J. (Raceway Park)
Aug. 22: Atlantic City, N.J. (House of Blues)
Aug. 24: Philadelphia (Penn's Landing)
Aug. 25: Virginia Beach, Va. (Virginia Beach Amphitheatre)
Aug. 26: Bristow, Va. (Nissan Pavilion)
Aug. 27: Atlanta (Hi Fi Buys Amphitheatre)
Aug. 28: Memphis, Tenn. (Mud Island)
Aug. 30: Pelham, Ala. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
Sept. 1: Jacksonville, Fla. (Metro Park Amphitheatre)
Sept. 2: West Palm Beach, Fla. (Sound Advice Amphitheatre)
Sept. 3: Tampa, Fla. (Ford Amphitheatre)
Sept. 4: Pensacola, Fla. (Civic Center)
Sept. 7: Baton Rouge, La. (River Center Centroplex)
Sept. 8: Corpus Christi, Texas (Concrete Street Amphitheatre)
Sept. 9: The Woodlands, Texas (C.W. Mitchell Pavilion)
Sept. 10: Austin, Texas (Austin Music Hall)
Sept. 11: Dallas (Smirnoff Music Center)
Sept. 13: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
Sept. 14: Albuquerque, N.M. (Convention Center)
Sept. 15: El Paso, Texas (County Coliseum)
Sept. 17: San Bernadino, Calif. (KROQ's Inland Invasion)
Singer SA Martinez says "Don't Tread on Me" has a "great melody with a dope rhythm underneath. Slightly skanky, but in a good way. Catchy, aggressive at times, and never a dull moment. Classic 311."
"The title track is about emotional volatility when you feel like your freedom is being encroached upon," adds singer Nick Hexum. "[Bassist] P-Nut wrote a sweet dub breakdown for this one."
The 11-track album reunites the band with Ron Saint Germain, who produced 311's self-titled third album. Released in 1995, that Capricorn set served as the band's mainstream breakthrough, spawning the enduring modern rock radio tracks "Down" and "All Mixed Up."
Also tapped for the album is the song "Speak Easy," which Martinez says was lyrically inspired by the beliefs of natural scientist/psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. "His belief is that any emotion we carry, we must let out," he says. "Otherwise, this said emotion will sit within us and manifest itself in ways which may not be good for our health," he explains. "We create blocks that turn into physical symptoms that initially were emotions we denied ourselves from experiencing. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it."
Other cuts include "Solar Flare" (Martinez: "This has to be one of the dopest songs we've put together."), "Waiting" (Martinez: "If the Beatles happened to venture to Jamaica instead of India, this song might have happened.") and "Long for the Flowers," which is based on "Grifters," an outtake from the band's 1997 album "Transistor" that has been reworked and re-recorded.
"Don't Tread on Me" is the follow-up to 2003's "Evolver," which debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 324,500 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. A 2004 "Greatest Hits" package fared even better, selling almost 485,000 units. That set included a cover of the Cure's "Love Song" that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock airplay chart.
311 will spend most of the summer on tour, opening their run with a July 27-28 stand in Santa Cruz, Calif. The 40-date outing will close Sept. 17 at KROQ Los Angeles' Inland Invasion show in San Bernadino, Calif. Most shows will feature support from either Papa Roach and Unwritten Law, or both acts on some dates. Also on the itinerary is a July 30 set at the San Diego Street Scene festival and an Aug. 20 slot on the Amsterjam bill at New York's Randall's Island.
Here is the full "Don't Tread on Me" track list:
"Don't Tread on Me"
"Thank Your Lucky Stars"
"Frolic Room"
"Speak Easy"
"Solar Flare"
"Waiting"
"Long for the Flowers"
"Getting Through to Her"
"Whiskey and Wine"
"It's Getting OK Now"
"There's Always an Excuse"
Here are 311's summer tour dates:
July 27-28: Santa Cruz, Calif. (Catalyst)
July 30: San Diego (Street Scene)
Aug. 1: Anaheim, Calif. (The Grove)
Aug. 2: Tucson, Ariz. (Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre)
Aug. 3: Mesa, Ariz. (Mesa Amphitheatre)
Aug. 5: Las Vegas (The Palms Hotel Casino)
Aug. 6: West Valley City, Utah (USANA)
Aug. 7: Morrison, Col. (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
Aug. 9: Council Bluffs, Neb. (Westfair Amphitheatre)
Aug. 10: Columbia, Mo. (Amphitheatre at Mizzou)
Aug. 11: Chicago (Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island)
Aug. 12: Kansas City, Mo. (City Market)
Aug. 14: Columbus, Ohio (Promowest Pavilion)
Aug. 15: Cincinnati, Ohio (Riverbend Amphitheatre)
Aug. 16: Cleveland (Tower City Amphitheatre)
Aug. 17: Sterling Heights, Mich. (Freedom Hill)
Aug. 19: Mansfield, Mass. (Tweeter Center)
Aug. 20: New York (Randall's Island; Amsterjam)
Aug. 21: Old Bridge, N.J. (Raceway Park)
Aug. 22: Atlantic City, N.J. (House of Blues)
Aug. 24: Philadelphia (Penn's Landing)
Aug. 25: Virginia Beach, Va. (Virginia Beach Amphitheatre)
Aug. 26: Bristow, Va. (Nissan Pavilion)
Aug. 27: Atlanta (Hi Fi Buys Amphitheatre)
Aug. 28: Memphis, Tenn. (Mud Island)
Aug. 30: Pelham, Ala. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
Sept. 1: Jacksonville, Fla. (Metro Park Amphitheatre)
Sept. 2: West Palm Beach, Fla. (Sound Advice Amphitheatre)
Sept. 3: Tampa, Fla. (Ford Amphitheatre)
Sept. 4: Pensacola, Fla. (Civic Center)
Sept. 7: Baton Rouge, La. (River Center Centroplex)
Sept. 8: Corpus Christi, Texas (Concrete Street Amphitheatre)
Sept. 9: The Woodlands, Texas (C.W. Mitchell Pavilion)
Sept. 10: Austin, Texas (Austin Music Hall)
Sept. 11: Dallas (Smirnoff Music Center)
Sept. 13: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
Sept. 14: Albuquerque, N.M. (Convention Center)
Sept. 15: El Paso, Texas (County Coliseum)
Sept. 17: San Bernadino, Calif. (KROQ's Inland Invasion)
311 Plans Free Shows, Fall Tour
With its summer roadwork ending over the weekend, 311 has confirmed the majority of its fall U.S. tour. The run will get underway Oct. 15 with a free Honda-sponsored show in the lot of Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium. After a few rehearsal days, the tour begins Oct. 19 in San Diego with dates through late November.
A mix of theaters and colleges are on the list, with eight stops still to be determined at deadline, including a "special Halloween show," according to the band's official Web site.
The free L.A. show is part of a Civic Live! series of events Honda is throwing around the country to promote the 2006 model. It began over the weekend with a Staind performance in New York, with tickets distributed to registrants online at CivicLive.Honda.com.
Upcoming shows include Hot Hot Heat, Von Bondies and Plain White Ts Saturday (Sept. 24) in Chicago; Damian Marley and Pitbull Oct. 1 in Miami; and John Legend and Common Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C. Also on tap is an Oct. 22 event in San Francisco with an artist to be announced.
311 is touring in support of its latest album, "Don't Tread on Me" (Volcano/Zomba), which recently debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200.
Here are 311's fall tour dates:
Oct. 15: Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium Lot)
Oct. 19: San Diego (Soma)
Oct. 20: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara Bowl)
Oct. 21: Las Vegas (House of Blues)
Oct. 23: Sacramento, Calif. (Freeborn Hall)
Oct. 26-28: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Oct. 30: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theater)
Oct. 31: TBD
Nov. 1: Spokane, Wash. (Big Easy)
Nov. 2: Bozeman, Mon. (Valley Ice Garden)
Nov. 5: Champaign, Ill. (Assembly Hall)
Nov. 6: Dekalb, Ill. (Convocation Center)
Nov. 8: West Lafayette, Ind. (Elliott Hall)
Nov. 10: TBD
Nov. 11: TBD
Nov. 12: Lewisburg, Pa. (Gerhard Fieldhouse)
Nov. 13: Allentown, Pa. (Memorial Hall)
Nov. 15: TBD
Nov. 16-17: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
Nov. 18: Portland, Maine (Cumberland County Civic Center)
Nov. 19: TBD
Nov. 21: TBD
Nov. 22: TBD
Nov. 23: Lowell, Mass. (Tsongas Arena)
Nov. 25: TBD
Nov. 26: TBD
A mix of theaters and colleges are on the list, with eight stops still to be determined at deadline, including a "special Halloween show," according to the band's official Web site.
The free L.A. show is part of a Civic Live! series of events Honda is throwing around the country to promote the 2006 model. It began over the weekend with a Staind performance in New York, with tickets distributed to registrants online at CivicLive.Honda.com.
Upcoming shows include Hot Hot Heat, Von Bondies and Plain White Ts Saturday (Sept. 24) in Chicago; Damian Marley and Pitbull Oct. 1 in Miami; and John Legend and Common Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C. Also on tap is an Oct. 22 event in San Francisco with an artist to be announced.
311 is touring in support of its latest album, "Don't Tread on Me" (Volcano/Zomba), which recently debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200.
Here are 311's fall tour dates:
Oct. 15: Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium Lot)
Oct. 19: San Diego (Soma)
Oct. 20: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara Bowl)
Oct. 21: Las Vegas (House of Blues)
Oct. 23: Sacramento, Calif. (Freeborn Hall)
Oct. 26-28: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Oct. 30: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theater)
Oct. 31: TBD
Nov. 1: Spokane, Wash. (Big Easy)
Nov. 2: Bozeman, Mon. (Valley Ice Garden)
Nov. 5: Champaign, Ill. (Assembly Hall)
Nov. 6: Dekalb, Ill. (Convocation Center)
Nov. 8: West Lafayette, Ind. (Elliott Hall)
Nov. 10: TBD
Nov. 11: TBD
Nov. 12: Lewisburg, Pa. (Gerhard Fieldhouse)
Nov. 13: Allentown, Pa. (Memorial Hall)
Nov. 15: TBD
Nov. 16-17: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
Nov. 18: Portland, Maine (Cumberland County Civic Center)
Nov. 19: TBD
Nov. 21: TBD
Nov. 22: TBD
Nov. 23: Lowell, Mass. (Tsongas Arena)
Nov. 25: TBD
Nov. 26: TBD
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