Before Simple Plan headed on their North American No Pads tour two weeks ago, Jeff Stinco and Chuck Comeau met up with a reporter from La Presse [see the new accompanying photoshoot here]. In the just-released fittingly-titled La Presse piece “The biggest small band in the world”, the duo discussed a number of not-so-light issues, as in many other interviews, as the interviewer delved into topics such as record sales and the band’s dealing with their bass player’s struggles with depression.
The reporter was surprised to learn that in the 15 years since the release of their first album, Simple Plan have only sold 10 million records. This is what Jeff and Chuck had to say about the tough reality of the contemporary music business:
“Our sales are on the first two albums. Since then, the industry has completely changed. Physical sales virtually no longer exist. Not just for us. For everyone. Our figures are now on Spotify.”
– Jeff Stinco –
“We will not lie to you: we are not Metallica, nor U2. We don’t belong to the 1% of the artists who earn more than the 99% of the middle class bands. If I can use a hockey analogy: we will never be Sidney Crosby, but we will play in the NHL and we make a good living. And quite frankly, even though Simple Plan never made the cover of Rolling Stone, I’m not ashamed of our 10 million sales. I’m not disappointed either. We did what we wanted. Perhaps we have not accomplished everything we have dreamed of, but we are not stopping either. Who knows what tomorrow holds?”
– Chuck Comeau –
Another hard topic the reporter brought up was the issue of David’s absence on tour due to his continuous struggles with depression, which don’t allow him to tour with his band. Jeff pointed out that the fact that they decided to not replace David and keep him with them via pre-recorded tracks, works in their favor much better now than it would have in the past:
“In 2002, it might have been badly seen, but today, the vast majority of groups resort to recorded tracks on show. It’s also a way to keep David with us and not turn everything upside down.”
– Jeff Stinco –
Chuck on the other hand mentioned David’s uniqueness within the band and the difference of his priorities compared to the rest of the band, who are now all husbands and fathers, which may stand behind his struggles:
“David is a rock star and a complex character. He is also the only bachelor in the band. He does not have the same priorities and responsibilities as we do. Because of our families, we tend to organize our tours so that the shows are condensed so that we can return to our homes faster. David – he would like to have more time, more holidays. He has rock star tastes and we have those of blue-collar workers. He has been marginalized within the band and we understand that it is difficult for him. “
– Chuck Comeau –
