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Theory of a Deadman shows off 'Scars and Souvenirs'
For Theory of a Deadman lead singer and Vancouver, British Columbia, native Tyler Connolly, living in Los Angeles for the album cycle of 2005's "Gasoline" was cathartic.
"It was really refreshing to be down there," Connolly said during a recent phone interview with LiveDaily. "It was always so nice and hot all the time. It was almost like it helped to write some fresh songs. Vancouver's a beautiful place, but it can rain a lot. Sometimes it can be a little depressing, and it's almost like it comes out in the writing. You write a little bit darker."
The result of the time in the sun is the band's 2008 release "Scars and Souvenirs," which includes the guitar-crunching "Crutch" as well as the singles "So Happy," "Bad Girlfriend" and "I Hate My Life." The album's title aptly describes its songs, said Connolly, whose band recorded Vince McMahon's theme song, "No Chance in Hell," for "WWE: The Music, Vol. 8."
"It's more or less the emotional scars and souvenirs of the record," Connolly said. "Throughout your life, you acquire emotional scars and souvenirs through relationships and whatnot. The album has a lot of that going on. There's a lot of stuff that's happened in my life, it's the emotional scars and souvenirs."
Aiding the band with its "Scars and Souvenirs" is former "American Idol" contestant and platinum-selling artist Chris Daughtry on the song "By the Way." Daughtry and Theory of a Dead Man--a band that's rounded out by guitarist Dave Brenner, bassist Dean Back and drummer Robin Diaz--share a producer in Howard Benson, who hooked up the collaboration.
"He's super down-to-earth," Connolly said of Daughtry, whom he's only spoken to on the phone. "He's really nice. He's from North Carolina ... I don't know how to describe him. He's a rock guy. He listens to the same kind of stuff that I do. I think they need more people like him representing the scene."
The recent album has been a breakthrough of sorts in the United States for Theory of a Deadman, thanks to the raunchy single "Bad Girlfriend," a tune that almost didn't end up as a single. Connolly explained that the song was kind of an afterthought.
"The label didn't like it and it was the very last song I sang on the record--and I didn't even think I sang it that well," Connolly said. "I just thought, 'Oh, whatever. It's not going to be a single.' I kind of feel stupid now that I didn't spend more time on it. It still turned out great. But it's one of those songs no one expected to do well. When the record came out, everyone gravitated toward that song; it was just a no-brainer from that point on."
Connolly, whose band will embark on a college jaunt with Hinder this month, said the label didn't like the song because of its sexually explicit lyrics.
"I guess it was a very shocking song, especially from our band," Connolly said. "We didn't have any gritty, sleazy songs on our past two records. For them, there was a cheese factor they couldn't get over. They didn't know what to do with the song. It didn't really matter. As soon as the fans loved it, things changed. That song and [the latest single] 'Hate My Life,' those are two songs when we play live that fans just love to sing along to. We had to release it as a single. I'm glad that we did."
The band recently wrapped up a stint of dates with Motley Crue , and will again join the '80s rockers on their summer Crue Fest tour.
