Collective Soul back to form, back to Buffalo

Preview by Joshua Maloni
Niagara Frontier Publications, July 12, 2007

Collective Soul performs Aug. 1 at Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo.

Ed Roland says you can have too much of a good thing.

The Collective Soul frontman says that, despite five albums in the Billboard Top 25 – and seven No. 1 hits – his band needed to disappear for a while. So, shortly after releasing a greatest hits album (“Seven Year Itch”) in 2001, the Atlanta alt-rock band took a prolonged respite.

“I think it was a necessary break for Collective Soul … I think it was a necessary break for fans,” Roland says. “We had done four or five studio albums in seven years with a greatest hits in there. That’s a lot of Collective Soul.”

When the band returned to action in 2004, the music climate had changed. More bands were leaving major labels to release music autonomously, and the pop-rock, grunge sound Collective Soul had played to success in the late ’90s was being replaced by more stripped down, straight-laced rock.

The band parted ways with Atlantic Records and formed its own imprint, El Music Group. Independently, Collective Soul fine-tuned its sound, and produced “Youth,” its best album to date.

“Taking the break kind of gave everybody a little second breath,” Roland says. “And then it became enjoyable and fresh again. So, I think that helped – plus I think it was a damn good record!”

With three hit songs – “Better Now,” “Counting the Days” and “How Do You Love” – “Youth” marked the 23rd time Collective Soul registered a Top 10 hit. The achievement further solidified the band’s reputation for creating single-filled, filler-free albums.

“Songwriting is easy: It just comes out,” Roland explains. “I don’t know how that happens. There’s no certain formula. But, the reason I think the quality of our albums is (is) because everybody in the band loves music and we want to make it the best we can.”

He says the band – his brother, Dean (guitar), Joel Kosche (guitar), Will Turpin (bass) and Shane Evans (drums) – keeps him in check.

“(Sometimes) they’re over there going, ‘That song sucks,’ and I’m not afraid to go and re-examine it and go, “Yeah it did. I know it’s weak here; it’s weak here.’ Every song I sing is not a Collective Soul song,” Roland says.

Of course, sometimes he’s right and they’re wrong. When he penned “December” – a song that ultimately went Top 10 in three different categories – Roland says it wasn’t popular with the group.

“I really felt very, very adamant about that song, that that was a good song. So, it works both ways,” he says. “I think that’s why the songs are the way they are.”

On Aug. 28, Collective Soul will release “Afterwords,” an album Roland says is, “kind of a continuation of where ‘Youth’ left off, which we’re excited about.”

The first single, “Hollywood,” available on the band’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/collectivesoul), is reminiscent of an ’80s pop ballad and fits in with “Youth’s” summery, flirty feel.

Of course, the band hasn’t forgotten its guitar-driven roots. Roland says his band has already completed half of its next album, a more rock-heavy effort.

“We’re going to make a true rock record again, kind of like a second CD, that we hope to have out next year … .” Roland says. “We’re back to doing those five in seven years again, it looks like – but we’ll put a little space in!”

Collective Soul returns to Western New York on Aug. 1. The band will share the Dunn Tire Park stage with fellow late-’90s hit-makers Live and Counting Crows.

It’s an opportunity Roland is looking forward to.

“First and foremost, we’re fans of the bands, which makes it real easy to hang out,” he says. “Everybody’s enjoying the music. It’s a pleasure to be around these cats and just enjoy good music. It’s like, ‘we get paid to be there!’ We get paid to be fans, which is kind of cool.”

As a fan, Roland certainly has songs he wants to hear from his tour mates. He realizes the same is true with Collective Soul’s devotees. For that reason, he has no problem performing songs from his band’s earlier days.

“As long as I’m on stage, I love playing them,” Roland says of songs such as “Shine,” “Gel” and “Precious Declaration.” “To me, I owe that to the fans if they’ve paid money to come see us. There are about seven songs – the reason they’re there is because of those songs, so we’re going to play them.”

Collective Soul, Live and Counting Crows perform Wednesday, Aug. 1, as part of the “Rock n’ Roll Triple Play” at Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo. Show time is 6:30 p.m.