Matchbox Twenty Prepare For The Solo Years


By Paul Cashmere

2004 / 2005 will be the solo album years for the members of Matchbox Twenty. At the end of the current world tour the band members will go their separate way with at least three members preparing to make solo records.

"We are definitely going to do it" drummer Paul Doucette tells Undercover News. "Kyle has a band who he plays with called The New Left. He has a whole other side band he plays with. Rob has been writing for other people for a while now and he wants to pursue some stuff on his own. I am working on stuff of my own. We are going to give each other time to do that and then do another Matchbox record after that".

The solo albums will give the various members a long overdue opportunity to pursue their own creative influences. Some of what we hear will be very commercial, some alternative. "The stuff I write for me is a lot less commercial than a Matchbox fan would typically listen to" says Paul. "I think 10 people will probably know of my record. Kyle's sounds pretty good though. People may actually hear about that record. I think the obvious thing is most people are going to know Rob's solo record."

Paul started work on his solo record before the latest Matchbox album but will most likely scrap what he has and start again. "I put it to bed for a little bit" he says. "I was going to start it in between 'Mad Season' and 'More Than You Think You Are' then I kind of stopped because it was time to start working on Matchbox again. I kind of can't split it. When I am working with Matchbox I am in a Matchbox mindset. When I am on my own, I am on my own. I can't do both".

The success of the band has already showed signs of strain within the group. "I've left like 5 times. It is a daily thing. I just call up in the morning and quit the band and by the afternoon I am back in" says Paul. "We have definitely had our moments. We have had our tension filled moments. We can go at it pretty good. I seriously did think of quitting the band and actually did for a very short bit of time in between the first record and the second record because I just wasn't that into it".

For Paul, the Matchbox Twenty sound is not the sound he would go for as a solo act. "I've always been into other types of music other than what we play so I wasn't quite feeling it but all that changed on this record. This is a record that I would actually buy. I am pretty happy with this record" he says.

However he understands why he is not the creative focus of the group. "The joke in the band is if we made the kind of records I would want to make is that 5 people would buy the record but critics would love us" he says.

Undercover and Michael Coppel Presents Matchbox Twenty in Australia.

Dates are:

Friday July 25 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena (Sold Out)
Saturday July 26 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
Sunday July 27 Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Tuesday July 29 Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Wednesday July 30 Sydney Entertainment Centre (New Seats allocated)
Thursday July 31 Sydney Entertainment Centre
Saturday August 2 Brisbane Entertainment Centre