That Superman band hailing from good ol Mi-double s-i-double s-i-double p-i are sitting on what some may consider, the peak of their success. Besides selling over 4 million copies of their debut album, The Better Life, 3DD have seen their share of awards and nominations. Kryptonite, the bands unforgettable even if you tried, first single received a Grammy Nomination for Best Rock Song and won two Billboard Music Awards for Rock Track of the Year and Modern Rock Track of the Year. Their second release Loser has seen equivocal success and their third single Duck and Run isnt doing too shabby either.

Even with nominations in a Modern Rock or Alternative category, 3 Doors Down is strictly rock, and maybe even a little southern rock at best. Listening to the album you can definitely pick out a southern groove. And youd be almost certain of that southern flair once you heard one of them speak in that heavy southern drawl. Unfortunately, it just may be too hard to have a boy band that sounds like they came from right out of the swamp so I guess 3 Doors will just have to settle on being a platinum-selling rock band, which, Im sure they have no problem doing. I dont particularly dig it myself (pop music), but theres enough room and a place for all kinds of music, says bassist Todd Harrell. I like the aspect that we write our own songs and we perform our own songs and I dont think a lot of that goes on with those type of bands.

Now with two more hit singles under their belt, 3 Doors have managed to escape the grips of being a one-hit wonder. So, why even talk about Kryptonite? Im over it man, moans Harrell with a deep southern burr. Move on. What many may not know is that Kryptonite was a hit before it was even truly a hit, or at least till those outside of Mississippi even heard it.

Kryptonite was one several songs that the band released on an independent CD back in 1997. As luck, and hard work, would have it, Kryptonite became one of the most requested tunes at WCPR, a radio station in Biloxi. The requests were obviously coming from more than just an over abundance of calls from friends and family trying to boost the band. The song quickly became a regular track in the stations heavy rotation. That song did real good for us; weve been playing that song forever now, states Harrell. It definitely did the job for us; it got our foot in the door.

So, how does one muster up the energy to play such a played out song for a starving crowd? The crowd does it for us, man. They want to hear it. As long as they want to hear it and theyre not as tired of it as I am, Ill keep playing it, explains Harrell. You give em what they want.

When Kryptonite was recorded, 3 Doors Downs current five-piece line-up only consisted of three members. Twenty-one year old front man Brad Arnold pulled off a Phil Collins stunt as lead singer and drummer of the band. The other two original members consisted of twenty-eight year old bassist Todd Harrell and twenty-two year old guitarist Matt Roberts. The three members hence the numeral 3 in their band name. Before signing with their current label, Republic/Universal, the grouped added on twenty-nine year-old guitarist Chris Henderson and later recruited twenty-seven year-old drummer Richard Liles to relieve Brad from his stick work to concentrate on his vocal duties.

While Kryptonite and Loser dealt with more personal issues of empowerment and inadequacies, 3DDs third single Duck and Run brings on a more political battle. The song reveals its frustrations in the first lines of Brads first verse stating, To this world I am unimportant just because I have nothing to give/If you call this a free country, why does it cost so much to live? As Harrells favorite song on the album he explains its intentions, The idea was that were going to take whatever is dished out, whatever the country dishes you. He continues, It is a political song. Dont duck and run just take it straight on and deal with it.

Kind of hesitant, Harrell brings up one of the countries biggest follies, When we didnt know who the president was going to be, that kind of shit. When we were over in Europe they were more or less making fun of us, like, yall dont even know how yawls president is right now. Just that kind of stuff.

The first three releases from The Better Life are also the first three tracks off the album which might signal the singles curse where the first few songs are the only good ones on the album and the rest just sucks. Harrell insists that isnt the case for The Better Life. The rest of the album is as strong as the first singles. I think we could release any of the songs off that album. We sat down and consciously tried to make every song different. He adds, We didnt want the same kind of songs one after another, we wanted everything to be a little different. I think that could be the reason that theyre all doing so good.

The rest of the year for 3 Doors Down is a stream of tour dates before hopefully beginning on another release in September. I think were going to go a little heavier, who knows? As for superstitions of freshman stardom and the possibility of a complete tumble from the peak of the mountain that they currently sit comfortably on, what will 3DD do? Well just keep playing, trying to write good songs, says Harrell. When it gets to be a job thats when you get out of it, know what I mean?

So, till then whats left for 3DD to accomplish? A duet with Brittney Spears at next years Super Bowl? Naw man, were not gonna do nothing like that.