Keep It Simple, Stupid

It took 24 hours of emails and phone calls, including one interview blowout, to tee-up a time with Charles-André “Chuck” Comeau, drummer of Montreal pop-punk band Simple Plan, to have a natter. There was good reason for the delay. “I'm sitting in Hong Kong airport, waiting for my flight to Singapore. After that it's Vietnam and then onto Australia. It's tiring to say the least,” he laughs.

The best-laid plans aren't always that simple. Not that punk has ever been associated with being simple: anarchistic, aggressive, fun even – but never simple. Green Day, Blink 182 and Good Charlotte are described as modern-day punks, even if their respective lyrical content differs widely. Canadians rockers, punks, pop stars, whatever, Simple Plan are another music-making pop-punk-rock band. They've pushed the right buttons in all the right places. Songs like Worst Day Ever have helped Simple Plan put the focus back on punk, albeit in a different form. If punk has gone through yet another revival, where does Simple Plan sit? Comeau gets asked that a lot. “You know, first and foremost we're an energetic rock bank that plays live shows. We're diverse as we open our minds and are influenced by different things. We're a band who loves everything but punk is part of our DNA.”

Simple Plan began in 1999 when frontman Pierre Bouvier, then member of punk band Reset, was reunited with drummer Comeau. Bouvier was unsettled with the direction Reset were taking and joined Comeau and associates Jeff Stinco and Sebastien Lefebvre for a new venture. That venture, Simple Plan, became complete when bassist and former Reset member David Desrosiers joined. “We all grew up together, played together, have the same values and respect and appreciate each other,” explains Comeau.

In 2002, the group released debut album, No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls, complete with appearances from punk entourage Blink-182 and Good Charlotte. In 2003 the boys headlined tours and became known as purveyors of pop-punk. When their second album, Still Not Getting Any, arrived in 2004, Bouvier indicated the restrictions of the pop-punk genre. He wasn't alarmed with genres – his focus was on writing good music. And then came the third album, the self-titled Simple Plan. The focus away from punk was evident by reading the liner notes. The album's producers included Martin Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, whose previous outings included Ace Of Base, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Another producer was hip hop star Nate “Danja” Hills, whose mentor is none other than Timbaland.

The result wasn't punk in the traditional sense – it was pop. “People said it was a shift away from rock or punk but that album was more rock based than our previous albums. There was more variety and diversity. Whatever style we try it will always be a Simple Plan record by the way we write and the way Pierre sings. We're not the most original band in the world but after being around for a long time we have freedom to try different things.”

Be it punk or pop, the definition is largely irrelevant. They've created a number of breezy, catchy pop-punk tunes littered with references to angst, pity and rejection – known territories for punk. They've come in for stick from punk purists and have been labelled pop-punk squirts by one UK rag. However, the squirts have grown up. “The word pop-punk or punk attracts controversy based on historical events and bands. It's funny as everything goes in a cycle, right? When we arrived our record label said we'd better hurry up and get something out there as the punk thing would be over soon,” he laughs.

But punk and rock are resilient – it's the perpetual motion of the genres that keeps demand high. “This year has been funny as the music has a way of being resilient. The fact that we're spending three weeks in Australia, which is the longest we've stayed, says a lot. I think punk is going to be around for some time yet.”

Last year's album, Get Your Heart On, attracted attention, and not for the band's glorification of adolescence and disobedience; more the reliance on synths and processed beats that created much more of an electronic feel. It was power-pop-punk delivered via trademark scruffy look and guitar-rock sounds.

Despite their albums, the band's lyrics have tended not to deviate from their areas of expertise. “Our lyrics have always been about emotions and there's no general or deeper message. We do try to challenge ourselves and our fans as well as surprise them with what we do.”  

Comeau says for Get Your Heart On, they had around 75 songs to choose from. “We worked so hard on that album that it revitalised the band.”

Still, it's been an impressive rise for the group. Not long ago the Canadians played to a mere handful of people. Now they're packing out venues. Of course, it helps that they've got a stellar reputation for performing live. Playing to big crowds at festivals and headlining shows has its benefits. So, too, do the smaller, intimate gigs, which Comeau enjoys, such as the Take 40 Live Lounge gig for the Priceless Music series. “We've done all kinds of shows. Playing to big crowds at huge festivals is so much fun as you get the cool energy from the people. When we're not headlining it makes all of us work harder to try and win over the crowd. It makes us a better band. There is something truly special about playing to a smaller crowd though. We're lucky as we get to have the best of both worlds.”

It's been over 12 years since the band formed and, during that time, the world has seen bands split (Blink-182) only to reform years later (Blink-182 again). Others have continued along the same path (Green Day), with some branching off into DJ world and some appearing on commercial TV as 'talent judges' (Good Charlotte, this applies to you). Compared to the others, Simple Plan are boring. Comeau laughs, “You know, as every year goes by we respect and appreciate what we've got that little bit more. We have fun and enjoy what we do. We're probably one of the few bands that have all original members and we're very proud with how we've grown and matured. It sets us apart”