By Robyn Kass-Gerji
Staff writer
On April 18 Good Charlotte began their first east coast tour since the band reunited in 2015. The tour consisted of four shows in four different cities beginning in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New York City then Boston.
Good Charlotte is a band of five members including brothers Benji and Joel Madden, Billy Martin, Paul Thomas and Dean Butterworth. I sat down with the band and some of their fans for a quick Q&A in the city.
Fan: What’s your favorite song off the new album?
Joel Madden: That’s a really good question. There’s a song that we did with our really good buddy Kellin Quin from Sleeping with Sirens and I really like it. It’s definitely my favorite song off the album.
Benji Madden: I like the song called “Life Changes” and a song called “War.”
Paul Thomas: Uh, favorite song? “Makeshift Love.”
Billy Martin: “Keep Swingin’” and “War.”
Dean Butterworth: I like “40 oz. Dream” and “War.”
Fan: Are you guys going to put out more new songs before the album is released?
Joel Madden: Every couple of weeks I think we’re going to release a couple more, so look for that.
Fan: Joel, I know you work as a Goodwill Ambassador, what is it like and how have you been fulfilling that?
Joel Madden: With UNICEF, all of that work is really important to me and I think it’s probably one of the best organizations in the world. You know the best thing for me, besides going places and actually seeing kids, is actually staying informed on what is really going on in the world. The best thing we can do is spread information about what’s going on, so that’s what I really always try to do. I also like going places and seeing new people, but yeah it’s an honor to be a part of. It’s definitely something I really love doing.
Fan: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into the music business?
Joel Madden: Yes. Make sure it’s what you really want to do. I would say to anyone who wants to be in the music business to ask themselves, can I live without it? If you can live without it then don’t do it. If you can’t live without it, do it. It’s the only way to make it, is if you can’t live without it in your life. It’s a very tough business. It’s a business of heartbreak. It’s a business of always being criticized, rejection and more failure than wins but the wins feel so good because you worked so hard for them. So my only advice for any artist is ask yourself and really search your soul. If you can live without it then don’t do it. But if you can’t live without it, do it, if that makes sense.
Hofstra Chronicle: What was the biggest influence behind the new album?
Benji Madden: [The] biggest influence behind the new album was really just, I think having time off and getting to know ourselves a lot better. We missed each other a little bit. Really just wanting to make a record for the simple joy of making a record and not really worrying about where it will lead or who will embrace it. Just making a record. Kind of like we did the first time around. Just making a record because we love it.
Joel Madden: And having to win fans again. Having to win people over again. Having something to say that we couldn’t. We were working on so many other records that we couldn’t say all we wanted at the time.
Being Madden: We had some things to say so this one’s full of it.
Fan: I know Billy did the artwork on your album, “Chronicles,” what was the influence on the artwork on this album?
Being Madden: Before there was downloading and streaming, our album art was still so important because you held it in your hands and we were like, “We hope the world never really loses that.” So all the album artwork was made out of the box.
Joel Madden: There’s actually a photograph of an entire wall. We took old flyers, things that we made and he recreated a bunch of things from our past and the present and he made this kind of wall that you would see backstage at CBGB, when we played there. All these clubs, as you tour around the world and the country. You also think back to your bedroom when you were a kid where you would hang posters up, so a lot of these venues are closed now.
Benji Madden: Yeah, so we did this. We thought that maybe our album artwork could still be important and if anything, it’s important for us so we spent a lot of time; Brian definitely spent a lot of time making it.
Joel Madden: Hopefully it’ll be really special, I think it came out really special. It’s really, once you actually get the album artwork it’s really cool. A lot of time went into it.
Good Charlotte releases their new album, “Youth Authority,” on July 15. The band has already released two singles, “Makeshift Love” and “40 oz. Dream,” on iTunes.
The concert was extremely loud and boisterous in the best way possible. Everyone in the crowd was jumping and singing along to every word. They played hits such as, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” “The Anthem” and “The River.” Not only did the band play the songs that were on their setlist but they also played a few requested songs like “East Coast Anthem” and “Seasons.” As I was leaving the show I heard fans talking about the show saying it was one of the best nights in their life and that they can’t wait to see them live again. From the opening act to the final song the show was amazing and definitely worth seeing for yourself.
Make sure you check them out on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour.