Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band formed in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992 originally as Groundswell. Groundswell played in various local Norwood backyard parties and area establishments before disbanding in 1995 and regrouping in 1997 under its current name.
Based in Toronto, the band's original line-up consisted of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer and backing vocalist Neil Sanderson, and bassist Brad Walst. In 2003, Barry Stock was recruited as the band's lead guitarist, making them a quartet. In 2013, Gontier left the band and was replaced by Walst's younger brother Matt Walst, who was previously the lead singer of My Darkest Days.
The band started out as a quintet named "Groundswell" in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992.[2] Groundswell released one full-length album, Wave of Popular Feeling in 1995,[3] containing singles "Eddie", "Poison Ivy" and "Stare". The band's line-up consisted of lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer Neil Sanderson, bassist Brad Walst, lead guitarist Phil Crowe, and rhythm guitarist Joe Grant.[4] Most of the members were attending high school when the band formed.[2][5] By the end of 1997, the band had broken up.
In 1997, Gontier, Sanderson, and Walst regrouped as "Three Days Grace".[2] According to Gontier, the name refers to a sense of urgency, with the question being whether someone could change something in their life if they had only three days to make a change.[5] Once in Toronto, the band became acquainted with local producer Gavin Brown. They gave him several years' worth of material which they had created, and he "...picked out what he called 'the golden nuggets'", according to Gontier.[6] Brown and the band polished the songs and created a demo album, which they gave to EMI Music Publishing Canada. The record label wanted to hear more material, and with Brown producing, the band created the song, "I Hate Everything About You", which attracted the interest of several record labels.[6] Three Days Grace were soon signed to Jive Records after being sought out by the company's then-president Barry Weiss.[2] Additionally, the group signed with Zomba in 2002.[7]
They moved to Long View Farm, a studio in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, to record their debut album. The group completed half of the album at Long View, while the rest was done at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York.[6] The self-titled album was finished in Woodstock, New York and released on July 22, 2003.[2] To support the eponymous album, the band released their first single, "I Hate Everything About You" (the song whose demo had gotten the band a record deal) on April 28, 2003.[6][8] The song received heavy airplay and rapidly became widely recognizable,[9][10][11] and was labelled as the band's "breakout hit".[12] The song peaked at No. 1 on the Canadian rock chart becoming their first number-one hit in the country.[11]Gavin Brown who produced the track, earned the group a Juno Award for Producer of the Year in 2004.[13] In 2003, the group was named "Favourite New Artist" at the CASBY Awards.[14]
In support of their major label debut, the group joined Trapt as an opening act on a US tour from July to September 2003.[15] In late 2003, Barry Stock joined the group after the band was auditioning for a second guitar player. Stock was introduced to the group by his manager in Toronto after they needed some help with their gear.[16][5] The group joined Nickelback on The Long Road Tour between October and November 2003.[17] The group embarked on a headlining tour called the Three Days Grace World Tour throughout 2004.[18] They also joined Evanescence on a North American Tour in July 2004, as well as Hoobastank on the Let it Out Tour in November.[19][20] The album peaked at No. 9 on the Canadian Albums Chart[21] and No. 69 on the Billboard 200,[22] and was certified platinum in Canada by the CRIA[23] and 2× Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[24] The album's second single "Just Like You" was released on March 29, 2004.[25] The song became the first of many of the band's songs to top the US BillboardAlternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts.[26] "Home" was released on October 4, 2004, as the third single from the album.[27] The fourth and final single "Wake Up" was released exclusively in Canada on January 10, 2005.[28]
Three Days Grace was met with mixed-to-favourable reviews. Dave Doray of IGN said of the album, "Almost every single song from the Three Days Grace track list is heavy and catchy, with chewy chunks of assurance and fury thrown in for added measure."[29]AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares criticized the album for its simplicity, but praised the groups "tight songwriting" and "unexpectedly pretty choruses" that make them standout among their peers.[30] However, Spin gave a negative review calling it, "generic Canadian gripe rock."[31]
Around this time, Gontier developed an addiction to the prescription drugOxyContin. After finishing the tour for their first album, the band knew they could not continue with the condition he was in, so in 2005, with the support of his family, friends, and band members, Gontier checked himself into the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.[37] While in treatment, Gontier began writing lyrics for songs regarding how he felt and what he was going through in rehabilitation.[7]
Three Days Grace performing at the Buzz Bake Sale in 2007Three Days Grace performing in 2008
Gontier successfully completed treatment at CAMH.[37] The band found a place suitable for further songwriting in Northern Ontario, in a cottage where they experimented on, tested, and practiced new songs.[38] After three months at the cottage, they had about finished what would be their second album. Gontier contributed lyrics about his experiences in rehab; the first single from One-X, titled "Animal I Have Become", features lyrics Gontier had written while getting sober.[39] In a 2006 interview, Gontier said that the album's material was more personal to him than the band's previous work because the inspiration had come out of his experiences with despondence, drug abuse, and rehab, which had constituted the past two years of his life.[38]
One-X was released on June 13, 2006, and was produced by Howard Benson.[40] This also marked Stock's first effort with the band.[2] The album peaked at No. 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart[21] and at No. 5 on the Billboard 200,[2] selling 78,000 copies in the US in its first week of release.[41] Instead of participating in Narcotics Anonymous, Gontier launched the "Three Days to Change" tour doing free concerts at treatment centres, shelters, group homes and detention centres across North America.[42][43] In November 2006, Gontier performed with the band at a special show at the CAMH in Toronto, where he had gone for his own rehab. Following the performance, Gontier fielded questions from the audience. CAMH footage, interviews and live performances were filmed as part of the "Behind the Pain" documentary.[43]
"Animal I Have Become" reflects Gontier's regrets about the person he became during the Three Days Grace tour. "A few of us got really carried away, especially myself. I became somebody I didn't want to be."[11]
"Animal I Have Become" was released as the lead single from One-X on April 10, 2006,[44] and became one of Three Days Grace's most successful singles, becoming 2006's most played rock song in Canada.[45] The song won Rock Single of the Year at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards.[46] "Pain" was released as the album's second single on September 19,[47] and topped the Canada Rock Chart becoming the group's second number-one on the chart.[48] It also topped the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts.[49][50] "Never Too Late was released as the third single on May 7, 2007.[51] It was nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards.[52] "Riot" was released as the fourth and final single on November 6, 2007,[53] and reached the top 20 on the Mainstream Rock chart.[50] The album helped Three Days Grace become the No. 1 rock artist by airplay in the US and Canada in 2007, with Billboard ranking them as Rock Artist of the Year.[54] In 2007, One-X was nominated for Album of the Year at the Juno Awards.[55] The album was certified triple platinum in both Canada and the US.[23][24] Three Days Grace toured the US and Canada throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007 in support of One-X with Staind.[56][57] The band also supported Nickelback on their All the Right Reasons Tour from February to March 2007.[58] In early 2008, they toured across the US alongside Seether and Breaking Benjamin.[10] A recording of a concert from the tour, Live at the Palace 2008, was released on August 19, 2008.[59]
Writing for the third album began on the road in 2007.[60] Pre-production for the album began in January 2009[61] and recording for their third album started in March at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Los Angeles,[62] again with producer Howard Benson who had worked with them on their previous releases.[54][63] The album, entitled Life Starts Now, was released on September 22, 2009.[64] Critics as well as band members have noted the album's departure from the angry tone of the band's previous releases into a lyrical style that is perceived as more optimistic.[65][66] Gontier stated that the album had a little bit more hope than their previous records.[66] This album reflects the maturity of the band members as they overcome problems such as sickness and death within their families; in a published statement, they were quoted as saying: "We had to be inspired by it, but the outcome is this: It's a new beginning. It's life starting over."[67] According to Stock, the album's theme centres around "a new sense of freshness" and the idea that "you don't have to be stuck in whatever it is you're dealing with. Whether it's good or bad, it's your choice to make a change".[63]
Brad Walst performing in 2010
Life Starts Now debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the band's highest chart position to date, and sold 79,000 copies in its first week.[68] The album was met with mostly positive reviews. The Toronto Star gave the album a negative review calling the album "shallow" and criticized it for sounding the same as their previous records.[69] According to AllMusic, Life Starts Now "...continues the theme of One-X, Gontier's personal demons, but with a 'hint of sunlight'."[65] He complimented the album, however, saying it served "a competent flurry of fist-bump anthems and world-weary, mid-tempo rockers".[65] The album was nominated for Rock Album of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards,[70] but lost to Billy Talent III.[71]
The first single from the album, "Break", was released on September 1, 2009.[54] The song topped the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart for twelve weeks.[72] It was nominated for Best Post Production Video and Best Rock Video of the Year at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards.[73] "The Good Life" was released on February 9, 2010, as the second single from the album.[74] The song reached number one for six weeks on the US Hot & Rock Alternative Songs chart.[72] "World So Cold" was released as the third single on August 3, 2010.[75] The song peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart for five weeks.[50] "Lost in You" was released on February 1, 2010, as the fourth and final single from the album.[76] The song won the Pop/Rock Music Award at the 2012 SOCAN Awards.[77] In support of the record, the band embarked on the Life Starts Now Tour, with 20 Canadian shows lasting through November and December 2009 and U.S. shows in January–February 2010.[78] They were joined by Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf during the U.S. shows.[79]
Original lead singer Adam Gontier left the band in 2013.
On October 7, 2011, the RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista and J Records, and moving all the artists signed to the three labels to its RCA Records brand, which included Three Days Grace.[84][85]
On June 5, 2012, the same day as Venus' visible transit across the sun, the band announced that their fourth studio album would be called Transit of Venus and released on October 2, 2012.[86] They created an early promotional video on their website featuring clips of them in the studio as well as footage of the physical transit of Venus.[87] Due to the rarity of this occurrence, they created the slogan, "Some things will never happen again in your lifetime", reflecting both this uncommon occurrence as well as the mood that the lyrics and music would most likely take on.[88] The album was produced by Don Gilmore and recorded at Revolution Studios in Toronto.[89] The band took a different approach on this album heading into the studio.[90] They spent three and a half months working and writing songs, where in the past, the songs were already written and they only had to spend a month in the studio recording.[90] Sanderson stated they "went for a tighter and more articulated sound on this record," experimenting with new instruments.[89]
Transit of Venus peaked at No. 4 on the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified gold in Canada.[91][23] The album also peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.[92] The album reached number one on the US Top Hard Rock Albums chart.[93] The first single from the album, "Chalk Outline", was released on August 14.[89] The song peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart for thirteen weeks.[50] "The High Road" was released on January 22, 2013, as the second single from album.[94] "Misery Loves My Company" was released as the third and final single on May 14, 2013. Both singles also topped the US Mainstream Rock chart.[50] The album was nominated for Rock Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2014.[95]
On January 9, 2013, the band announced that Gontier had left the band. They described Gontier's departure as being abrupt and unexplained.[96] The departure came just weeks before a co-headlining tour with Shinedown.[97] Gontier explained that he was simply ready to start a new chapter in his life, stating, "After twenty years of being part of an ever evolving band, I have been inspired by life, to move on and to continue to evolve on my own terms."[96] He later added that his decision for leaving the group was of creative differences.[98] Following his departure from the band, Gontier launched his Solo Live Tour in 2013.[99] After staying out of the spotlight in 2014, Gontier re-emerged in 2015 with rock supergroupSaint Asonia.[100] Brad Walst's brother, Matt (of My Darkest Days), became the band's new lead singer and they commenced their 2013 tour with Shinedown and P.O.D.[101][102] Dani Rosenoer, the band's touring keyboardist and backing vocalist since 2012, also joined the band for the tour.[103]
The group began recording their fifth studio album in late 2013 in Noble Street Studios, Toronto.[104] The group also confirmed in March 2014, that Walst would officially be taking over as the band's new frontman.[105] They worked with producer Gavin Brown on this album. Sanderson described the album as more raw and aggressive than their previous records.[106] The group embarked on a US tour from April to July 2014.[107] In an interview with Billboard, Brad Walst stated that the album was almost complete and confirmed it would be released the following year.[108] Walst also added that the group went back to their hard rock roots for this album.[108] In a separate interview with Loudwire, Brad credited Brown for "getting them in the right mindset."[109]
A new track titled "Painkiller" was released on April 1, 2014, as the lead single from the album.[110] It was the first song they wrote with Matt.[108] The song reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, which made it their eleventh number-one single.[111] The album's second single, "I Am Machine" was released on September 30, 2014.[112] The song was nominated for Rock Song of the Year at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[113] On January 26, 2015, it was revealed that the new album would be titled Human.[114] On March 23, "Human Race" was released as the third single.[115] "Fallen Angel" was released on September 15, as the fourth and final single.[116]
Human was released on March 31, 2015.[117] The album debuted at No. 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart and sold 6,700 copies first week.[118] The album was certified gold in Canada.[23] It peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.[22] The album also topped the US Top Hard Rock Albums chart for two weeks.[93] It was nominated for Rock Album of the Year at the 2015 Loudwire Music Awards.[119] The band embarked on the Human Tour in Canada and the US from July to November 2015 to support the album.[120]Halestorm supported most of the Canadian dates.[121] The band toured Europe and Russia in early 2016.[122][123]
Once the tour for their 2015 album Human concluded, the band decided to take time off to work on the next album "in as much isolation as possible," according to drummer Neil Sanderson.[126] They spent one year writing the material at rural properties owned by Sanderson and Brad Walst.[127] Matt Walst was much more involved in the songwriting, messages, and concepts on this album compared to their previous one.[126] The band began recording their sixth studio album in July 2017.[128] The album was produced by two of the band's prior producers, Gavin Brown and Howard Benson but also by members of the band themselves.[126] Having written and recorded around 20 songs, the band selected each track "based on vibe," so the album could "have a good sequence to it" according to Walst.[129] Their sixth studio album titled, Outsider was announced on January 25, 2018, and released the lead single, "The Mountain" with an accompanying music video that same day.[127] The song peaked at No. 1 on the BillboardMainstream Rock chart in March 2018 and became their 13th number-one on the chart while tying the record with Van Halen.[130]
The album was released on March 9, 2018.[131] The album debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and sold 17,000 copies in its first week in the US.[132] On June 12, "Infra-Red" was released as the band's second single from the album.[133] "Infra-Red" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart and it is their 14th number-one single. With this achievement, the band broke Van Halen's two-decade record of topping the chart.[26] On November 13, 2018, "Right Left Wrong" was released as the band's third single from the album.[134] It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart and it is their 15th number-one single.[135] In support of the album's release, the group embarked on the Outsider Tour in 2018 across Europe and North America.[136] The group also toured with Avenged Sevenfold and Prophets of Rage on the End of the World Tour.[137] On March 14, 2019, the band won Rock Artist of the Year on 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[138]
Three Days Grace were nominated for three Juno Awards in 2019, Outsider for Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year and the band for Group of the Year.[139] They won the Rock Songwriters of the Year award for "The Mountain" in the 30th anniversary of the SOCAN Awards.[140] On July 23, 2020, the band released a cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".[141] In 2020, "Right Left Wrong" won the Rock Music Award provided by SOCAN.[142]
The group began writing their seventh studio album in February 2020.[143] On March 1, 2021, the band confirmed that they were in the studio recording their album on Instagram.[144] According to Brad Walst, the group had recorded nine or ten songs separately, in different studios, by themselves.[145] Sanderson stated that the album was inspired by the real life circumstances the band had gone through over the last several years.[146]
Three Days Grace performing live at Rock im Park in 2023
On November 29, 2021, the band released a new single called "So Called Life" as the first single from their seventh studio album, Explosions, which was released on May 6, 2022.[147] The song reached the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart at number one, topping the chart for four consecutive weeks.[148] Three months later, on February 17, 2022, the band released a promotional single, titled "Neurotic", featuring Lukas Rossi.[149] On April 11, 2022, the band released "Lifetime" as the album's second radio single.[150] The song was dedicated to the people of Mayfield, Kentucky, after an EF4 tornado hit the city in December 2021.[150] It peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. This marks the band's 17th number-one song on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.[151] On September 27, 2022, "I Am the Weapon", the third single from the album was released for radio airplay.[152] The song peaked at number four on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.[50]
They were nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 2022 for "So Called Life".[153] They were also nominated at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards for Rock Artist of the Year and "So Called Life" for Rock Song of the Year.[154]Explosions was nominated for Rock Album Of The Year at the 2023 Juno Awards.[155]
The group went on the Explosions Tour in North America during the summer and fall of 2022.[156] In April and May 2023, the band supported Shinedown on their The Revolutions Tour.[157] During the April 19, 2023, show in Huntsville, Alabama, Adam Gontier reunited with the band for a brief collaborative performance.[158][159] The group co-headlined a tour alongside Chevelle in the fall of 2023 with support from Loathe.[160] Gontier reunited with the band a second time during their October 10, 2023, show in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has relocated after leaving Three Days Grace.[161]
Their self-titled album mostly features the sounds of alternative metal[30] and nu metal,[29] with heavy influences from Kyuss and Sunny Day Real Estate.[2] The album drew comparison with the likes of Linkin Park, Chevelle, Depswa and Shinedown for their alternative metal and hard rock sound.[30][174] On their second album, One-X, the band continued with their alternative metal sound and features songs more personal to Gontier.[169][38] Music critics praised the album's lyrics for its "simple and direct approach" that adds a certain charm, despite its predictability.[169][45] However, on their third album, Life Starts Now, the group departs from the angry tone of the band's previous releases into a lyrical style with more optimism while maintaining their hard rock sound.[65] Critics compared the album's sound to bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Collective Soul, and Godsmack.[65] Their fourth album, Transit of Venus, included a few electronic influences.[175] These influences are evident on tracks such as "Chalk Outline" and "The High Road", adding a layer of thickness to the guitar-heavy work.[176] On their fifth album, Human, the group shifted away from using electronic elements and went back to their post-grunge and alternative metal sound.[177][178] However, their sixth album, Outsider, included electronic aspects influenced by Bring Me the Horizon's 2015 album, That's the Spirit.[179] On their seventh album, Explosions, they continued with their gritty and hard rock sound.[180] Critics compared the sound to their early records such as One-X for its raw angst while also stating the group heads for a mature and exploratory sound on the album.[181]
The band has a record 17 number-one songs on the BillboardMainstream Rock chart.[151]Billboard ranked the group at number three on their "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists" list.[182]Loudwire named "Animal I Have Become" the 45th "Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs" in 2012[183] and also listed "Never Too Late" as one of the "66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century" in 2020.[184] "I Hate Everything About You" was ranked at number 9 on the Billboard Decade-End Alternative Songs chart in 2009.[185]Billboard named "Break", "Chalk Outline", "Pain", "Animal I Have Become" and "I Am Machine" as the "Greatest Mainstream Rock Songs" on their "Greatest of All Time" list with "Break" and "Chalk Outline" in the top 10.[186]Adam Gontier, the band's founding lead vocalist, has been considered to have a, "passionate vocal style, naturally husky sound, and lyricism chock full of [the] angst and torment" making him a unique singer that many teenagers and others living through hardships found relatable.[187]
Band members
Current members
Neil Sanderson – drums, backing vocals (1992–1995, 1997−present); keyboards (2009–present)
^ abcBliss, Karen (March 30, 2007). "3DG doc aims to help addicts". JAM! Music. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2022.((cite news)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
