From 2004 to 2008, Grammy Award-winners No Doubt went on hiatus while singer Gwen Stefani pursued her solo career. Meanwhile, guitarist Tom Dumont started his own band, Invincible Overlord, with friend and collaborator Ted Matson. Adrian Young, No Doubt's drummer, pounded the skins for Bow Wow Wow's 2004 tour. And Kanal collaborated with Stefani on her solo work and co-wrote songs with the likes of Pink and Elan.

Calling from Virginia Beach, VA, Kanal spoke to LiveDaily about the chemistry of the reformed No Doubt and the benefits Stefani's solo success brings to the group.

LiveDaily: What was the impetus for reforming No Doubt?

We'd been on hiatus for a few years. We got in the studio last year and started writing. We started looking at each other; Gwen was actually the one who said, "Let's go play some shows." We just hadn't played for so long together. We started out as a live band. I think it was the missing component. We just needed that, that additional component just to be filled in. Of course, when do anything, we can't do anything small. Here we are doing 58 shows over the summer and North America. It's probably one of the biggest tours we've ever done. That's why we're out here. The whole goal is just to get reconnected with each other, reconnected with our audience and have a great time. Hopefully that'll lead to a very inspired record.

Did you start recording before you went on tour?

We didn't record the record but we were in writing sessions, quite a few writing sessions over the last couple years. It was the ones last year that we did with Gwen that led to the fact that maybe it's better if we jump out there and play some shows out there together. We're going to get right back into it as soon as we're done with the tour, I think.

What can you tell us about the album?

It's too early to say anything. There's a lot of very initial ideas. We haven't gotten far enough to really have anything that I could actually talk about.

You said this tour is a way of reconnecting with each other. How is that going?

It's great. It's great. For me it feels like we're exactly the same band we were 22 years ago when we started. Just the same. I feel that we have the same energy on the stage and we have the same connection on stage and we have the same amount fun that we've always had. It's just awesome. It's a different dynamic behind the scenes. My bandmates all have their kids and their families out. So it's a little bit different as far as that goes. But it's just a refreshing, nice change. We're so fortunate and blessed that we get to experience all these things together still as a band, including now having kids on the road with us.

What did you do during the break?

I worked on a lot of music. I worked on some soundtrack stuff. I worked on both of Gwen's records. Wrote some songs on those records and produced some songs on those records. Went really deep into writing with other artists--newer artists and established artists--and just really pushed myself to keep music going. I think for myself and for Gwen, who did her records, and for Tom, our guitar player who did some soundtrack and production work as well, I think those are really healthy things. I think you bring newfound perspectives to songwriting when we're going to get back in the studio again. We all kept busy with music. Adrian played with a bunch of different people and went on the road and also did some session work. Everyone kind of kept busy with music.

What has the songwriting process been so far?

We got in the room. We started playing, writing. There was about two or three sessions that I did with Tom and Adrian where we just went in with our producer Spike Stent and put a bunch of ideas down on tape. Then, last year, we--Tom and myself--did a couple sessions with Gwen. We have a bunch of really, like, exciting seedlings of ideas but nothing really in shape enough to say, "This is a song and this is a song." So, it was at that point that we just said, "OK. We need to go play some shows and get out there again, instead of banging our heads against the walls and trying force a record out. Let's get out there, get inspired, reconnect with each other, reconnect with our audience and come back and make a record." That's what the plan is right now.

What was the chemistry like when you stepped out on stage together for the first time?

It was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. ...It feels great. It feels like we never took a break. One of the first shows we did was headlining the Bamboozle shows in New Jersey. It was a huge audience, like, 30--35,000 people. Gwen asked the audience, "How many people are seeing No Doubt for the first time?" I would say the majority of the people responded, which was very interesting and cool to see that there's a whole new generation of kids who haven't seen us before, who are getting turned on to us now.

How has Gwen's solo project benefited the music of No Doubt?

I think that going along with that last question, here we are now maybe exposed to a whole new audience. When you look out into a No Doubt audience tonight, it's really diverse. I think you've had the people who have been following us for many, many years. You also got those same people bringing their kids now. Then you've got a lot of people who were turned on to No Doubt through Gwen. They were fans of her solo work and they're aware that she's in a band and for the first time they're coming to see her band, the band that she's been in for all these years. I think it's all across the board, you know?