Theory of a Deadman: playing hard, loving life

By John Benson

After spending the better half of the 2000s with a handful of hit singles, Canadian post-grunge act Theory of a Deadman hit its stride with 2008 effort “Scars & Souvenirs,” which features a slew of radio favorites including “So Happy,” “Bad Girlfriend,” “All or Nothing,” “Hate My Life,” “Not Meant to Be,” “By the Way,” “Wait For Me” and latest single “Little Smirk.”

Having spent 2009 opening for Daughtry and M ∂tley Cr ºe twice, Theory of a Deadman is ready to enjoy its success with a headlining tour that brings the band back to the area for a Monday show at Club Gossip (formerly The Wedge). The Vindicator talked to singer-guitarist Tyler Connolly about his band’s recent amazing run, why fans shouldn’t expect “Bad Girlfriend, Pt. 2” and the upcoming show.

Q. First of all, congratulations on the gold-selling “Scars & Souvenirs.”

A. Thanks. It’s gone by really quick. It feels like it was just yesterday we were going over what songs to put on the record. It’s pretty crazy. And we have another six months of touring, but yeah, it’s good though because the stuff still feels fresh. You go out and tour for two years like we’ve done on previous records ,but after a while you’re like, we really have to write some new tunes because you’re tired of playing the same stuff. For some reason, now it still seems fresh playing the same songs, which is a good thing.

Q. Perhaps the fact you’re playing one popular single after another helps. In looking over your hits, specifically with “Bad Girlfriend” and “Hate My Life,” are you worried about being pigeonholed as the band that can write only about observational material regarding the daily grind of life?

A. I think for us, “Bad Girlfriend” was a huge breakthrough song, but it was kind of gimmicky. And the same with “Hate My Life.” The good thing is as far as the “Scars & Souvenirs” record, it has songs like “Not Meant to Be” that were on the other spectrum, pop and hot AC (adult contemporary). There might be some rock fans that didn’t hear that song on the radio and know how well that song did. So for us, we have both sides with the pop and rock aspect. I think we’re going to keep to that on the next record. I think a lot of people expect us to come out with “Bad Girlfriend, Pt. 2,” but I think that would be a nail in the coffin.

Q. Forgive us if this is too personal but we have to ask. Considering “Scars & Souvenirs” has sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States alone and you’ve toured seemingly nonstop for nearly two years, what sort of financial stability these days does having such an album provide?

A. There’s a lot of security, but (M ∂tley Cr ºe bassist) Nikki Sixx told me you can go buy yourself a huge mansion and a couple of Ferraris, which he did as a kid, but then of course you’re freaking out because you have to pay for those. And then all of a sudden your next record doesn’t do too well, and you have to sell that mansion and Ferraris. I guess what I’m saying is we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ve just been so busy we haven’t been able to settle down and look for a nice house. So we’re just keeping it real. Nikki’s a nice guy, and those guys have been on top and on bottom, and he’s died a couple of times. So it’s nice to take advice from a guy who has been touring for 30 years and is still successful.

Q. Finally, Theory of a Deadman has played in Youngstown a few times over the years. Any memories come to mind?

A. I know we stop there a lot. There are great rock fans there. We always try to make it a town we stop in. And just Ohio in general has always been an amazing market for us. So we’re glad you guys dig our music.