Three Days Grace: ‘Only in Russia we are rock stars’
On 8 February, one of the most famous Canadian rock bands in the world Three Days Grace came to Kazan for the second time. Before the concert, two brothers, vocalist Matt Walst and bassist Brad Walst, told journalists why they like the Russian borsch, why they want the Russian citizenship, why Putin looks like a superhero and for what reason they can be called rock stars only in Russia.
Russians have two associations with Canada: Three Days Grace and Deadpool. What do you think about this superhero?
Brad: Deadpool is awesome! Yes, and I am excited to see this movie. I think it's been really good. I'm a big fan.
Matt: That's a super funny one. It is coming out. I'm looking forward to it.
Have you seen the movie?
Matt: Has it come out?
Brad: Not yet.
What about the trailer?
Brad: No, I haven't seen it.
It starts this weekend.
Matt: I watched the preview. It looks very funny.
You said that you like Russian borsch. Have you tried other Russian dishes?
Brad: Yes, I guess we have eaten a lot of borsch, every day and every meal. Well, not every meal.
Matt: I eat it pretty much too.
Brad: We find that the food here is a lot different than in North America. People just take a lot more pride and time. It is fresh.
Matt: It is natural.
Brad: Yes, it is very good.
Do you like Russian food more than your cuisine?
Brad: Absolutely.
Matt: I would say so.
Has the direction of the band changed?
Matt: I think we've got a little heavier.
A little bit?
Matt: Yes, it is a little heavier on this record. We wanted to make a heavier record. On this stage, our performance is a little different. We definitely put a lot more energy into it now than the guys were putting before.
Matt Walts: 'I think our rock became a little heavier'
I run around a lot and get people motivated jumping around, starting mosh pits. And I encourage people to have fun, jump around but still be careful with each other.
Matt, when you gave a concert here last year, you ran down the stairs and went to the audience. Will you do it again?
Matt: Almost likely. It there is a bar I would get up on the bar and sing from the bar, hopefully, get a shot.
In the 80s, it was quite easy to gather a stadium and fans. Is it normal to be a rock star now?
Brad: I don't think that rock star and normal go together. I don't know. I guess it is a little bit different. Did you say the 80s? We aren't in the 80s anymore. It is very cool for us to come to a country like Russia. I saw great fans just because of social media. I think that's a really important thing of music now. And I think without that we wouldn't be here now. Vk.com is such a huge thing for us. There are so many great fans on Vk. So, it is pretty cool.
What do you think about the Russian politics?
Brad: I don't know much about it. I know Putin. He is a great hockey player. That's pretty cool.
Matt: He drives Formula 1 cars, he can fly fighter jets, he can play hockey, he knows judo. Honestly, I think this guy is a superhero.
Like Deadpool?
Matt: Yeah! (laugh)Maybe not as funny as Deadpool.
Do you want to be a citizen of Russia? Maybe in future…
Matt: Definitely.
Brad: I would move here. I could live in Russia.
What is the idea of your last album Human? What do you want to say?
We tried to go back to our roots, to our original sound. We just sat with acoustic guitars and write in a circle. We did a lot of that in the first two records. And I think it really shows on Human how natural it was.
Brad: I don't know much about it. I know Putin. He is a great hockey player.
It was a really great thing with Matt, a supereasy to sit down with Matt and write songs. He is my brother who also has been a family for this band since the beginning.
Matt: And we used the same producer from the first record. And for me, he was the first. I co-wrote my two songs on Three Days Grace first record. When I worked with Gavin Brown, he really influenced me to make my own career that was My Darkest Days and play music for a living.
What about My Darkest Days' future?
Matt: I don't know. It is a different type of music with more love songs. We don't really write too many love songs in this band.
Brad: No, not too many.
Some Russian fans think that Three Days Grace without Adam Gontier is not true Three Days Grace.
Brad: I disagree. I think, these songs are classics. Fans are along with us for the journey. Matt's been around for 20 years with this band. He knows ups and downs. I think, for Matt knows exactly where songs come from.
For those fans, I guess, they have another option. They can go watch singing us songs yet. (laughing)
Matt: And for me, I've, probably, watched more Three Days Grace shows than anybody other. I've watched Three Days Grace go from my basement at twelve years old to them having a record deal, to them playing arenas. I've seen hundreds and hundreds of shows. So, for me now to be in the band I'm truly grateful and I'm trying to put on my best performance I can possibly put on. For those fans, I'm trying my best.
Brad: I think you're doing all right.
We are looking forward to your new album. When are you going to release it?
Brad: I think in 2017, probably. We gonna take a break. We've been going really strong since Matt joined the band in 2013, we haven't stopped, you know. We've been recording and touring, recording and touring.
Brad Walts: 'Matt's been around for 20 years with this band. He knows ups and downs
I think it's time just to take a break for a few months, not talk to each other, sit and relax. But after that we gonna start writing and in 2017 we can start again. So, soon!
You have a common song with Apocalyptica. Are you planning anything like this?
Brad: Maybe. I don't know. I don't know what we gonna plan for the next record. We will wait and see. It is always a surprise.
Matt: We would like Chino from Deftones.
Brad: Yeah, Chino is cool.
Matt: Maybe, Fred Durst.
Brad: Yeah. It would be cool.
Before 2014 you've never been in Russia, and now you are here for the second time. Are there countries that you would like to tour?
Brad: I'd like to go to China, I think. A lot of rock bands go to China now and I think it would be really cool. It is totally different, something we've never done.
Matt: I know, you guys, went to Australia.
Brad: Yeah.
Matt: I wanna go to Australia.
Brad: There are still a lot of countries. It's a big world.
You've been two times in video saloon Maksim, remember? You have watched some Russian music videos. Have you watched videos of local Tatar groups?
Brad: Yeah, but I can't remember the names. They're really cool bands, though.
Are you going to write personal songs like Falling Angel? It is personal for Neil, as I know. It is about a tragedy of his family. Are you going to write something like this?
Brad: I think, all the songs are personal for everybody. For us, it is like a therapy to write together, because, you know, we write about real things in our life and real things around us, so, every song is definitely a personal touch. We've always been writing about our experiences and what goes on around us.
But not every rock star sings such deep songs like you.
Matt: I think, that's why people connected Three Days Grace. What we go through is the same thing that everybody goes through. We are real people and we go through real life things. I lose people, you lose people. I get in fights sometimes, and I deal with depression, you may deal with depression and may have bad days. We have the same themes. So, what we write about is what other people go through.
Do you feel that you are real rock stars?
Brad: No, we are pretty down to earth. We come from a small town in Canada, We've always been small town boys. If somebody gets a big head, we can put him in line. We're just people. People are people, and it is what we love to do. We love to play live, we love to record music.
I think I feel like more of a rock-star in Russia than anywhere in the world. Because we go to airport in Toronto, and nobody is there waiting for us, nobody cares. (laugh)
Yeah, 'only in Russia we are rock stars'. But only in Russia.
What about Canada?
Brad: No, people are people and that's just how we wanna live. I have a minivan. (laugh)
Kurt Cobain said that to be an old rock star is not cool. When, do you think, will you stop?
I think we will stop when people don't want us anymore, it could be never, who knows, I don't know.
Thank you.
