Interview: How Good Charlotte Found Their Footing In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After a five year hiatus, pop punk favorites Good Charlotte have returned with new music and a string of small shows to celebrate their fans.
The tour kicked of Monday night at The TLA in Philadelphia - a city that holds a special place for the band from Waldorf, Maryland.
"Even probably before our hometown, I'd say Philly is probably the first people to really make Good Charlotte feel like a band that people cared about" singer Joel Madden remembers a few hours before they take the stage at The TLA. "It's definitely always been like a home away from home."
"So we decided to do these four one night only shows, and The TLA was a really special part of our history. It's weirdly, wasn't really intentional that we did the first one here tonight - but it's no mistake" adds brother and guitarist Benji Madden.
Before their massive success began in 2002 with songs like "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" and "The Anthem", the band became a show staple of the Philadelphia music scene - launched by spins of their song "Little Things" on Alternative radio station Y100. "That song actually became a hit on the radio here, the demo version before we even had a record deal" says Joel. "It all started in Philly and it was pretty unforgettable."
"We came to know Philly really quickly as a town that like, when they got behind you they got behind you, but they also let you know how they feel" explains Joel. "They either love you or they hate you" laughs Benji.
"They tell you what's on their mind. So as musicians, you always appreciate honesty. We came to love Philly really quickly, and Philly really really got behind our band all the way to today" says Joel.
Today is it were, marks the beginning of a new chapter for the brothers Madden and Good Charlotte. They've both grown up - Joel now married with two kids to wife Nicole Richie and Benji married last year to actress Cameron Diaz, and they both have a spark reignited for music similar to what they felt when the band began.
"I think the reason that we took a break from the band was to find that spirit again, and the only way we could do that is living our lives and stepping away from it. You go into making your first record and essentially you had eighteen years to write it" says Benji. "All of the sudden everyone knows your band and all in the sudden there's a demand, and then it's like 'oh we got to write another one'. You don't necessarily ever write one record from the same place, and you always wish you could get back to that feeling you had before that first record. Before you knew. When you were still green. And I think getting time away from the band and all of us getting to live our lives and spend time with our families and be married, we did actually go away from the band. So we did come back and make this record, almost like we were starting all over again."
The new album from Good Charlotte is called Youth Authority, and is out July 15th. You can hear much more from Joel and Benji Madden by listening to the full interview below.
