Hinder's Mike Rodden Talks to Suite 101
The Bassist Reflects on Hinder's Success
Having enjoyed a sudden rise to fame, Hinder bassist Mike Rodden talks to Suite 101 about the band’s music and influences. He discusses the video for the hit single “Up All Night,” the band’s stance on drugs, and common misconceptions about the music.
Hinder’s Albums - Extreme Behavior and Take It to the Limit
Suite 101: Were you surprised at the success of Extreme Behavior when it shot up the charts?
Rodden: We believed in the record. We thought it was the best record we could put out. We didn’t expect the level of success that it actually had though. We were surprised and very happy about it. We always just try to put out the kind of music we want to hear. If people like it, that’s awesome.
Suite 101: The latest record, Take It to the Limit, has an old-school sound, similar to that of the eighties metal bands. Were you influenced by any of those groups?
Rodden: Yeah those are definitely our biggest influences - Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue and some of the older bands from the seventies. I think you can kind of get that through our music. We don’t intentionally set out to remake that sound. It just comes through our music because they did influence us so much.
Suite 101: The new album seems like it’s been received well. Was there pressure to top the success of Extreme Behavior?
Rodden: The only pressure came from us, within ourselves. Because of the success of the first one, the label just let us have the reigns and do whatever we wanted. That relieved some of the pressure from them as far as topping the first album.
Hinder’s Stance on Drugs
Suite 101: The lyrics and video for “Up All Night” give the impression that you guys are living the typical “rock and roll excess” lifestyle – women, parties, alcohol. Is that an accurate portrayal of your life?
Rodden: We shot all of that [video footage] ourselves. We would shoot footage every day of things that were happening back stage and on the bus, and of the crowd when we’d play. We had a friend put it all together to make the video. That’s real life footage. We didn’t want to put together a massive production. We wanted to do an old-school video like [Guns N’ Roses] “Paradise City,” so we just did it ourselves.
Suite 101: Often you hear about musicians who get wrapped up in all the partying and how it affects their bands. Do you worry about that happening, or have concerns about that at all?
Rodden: Not at all. We’re grounded because of where we grew up and our families. We don’t dip into any drugs or anything like that. We just like to drink and have a good time. There are no hard core drugs at all. If anybody ever does that, we already have a pact and that person is gone.
We don’t want anything to affect the band. We’ve seen those bands. They go down because one person gets trashed and strung out. We don’t want that. The band is supposed to be more than that, so that’s our stance on drugs.
Hinder’s Famous Ballads
Suite 101: It seems like Hinder does the ballads really well. “Lips of An Angel” was definitely a chart-topper. Where does the inspiration for that type of song come from?
Rodden: It seems like ballads come easier for us for whatever reason. We write those songs like “Lips of An Angel” and “Without You” from our own experiences. I think that’s why people can relate to them. It’s a real life experience, and a lot of people have gone through the same things.
Hinder’s Future
Suite 101: What is the biggest misconception about Hinder?
Rodden: I think fans know a lot about us because we put it all out there on the table. I think that when they read stuff from critics comparing us to Nickelback, it can be confusing. We’ve been called “Nickelback, Jr.” and I don’t see the similarity at all. I think that kind of stuff gets into people’s heads when they read stuff about us. I think that when they meet us though, they don’t have any misconceptions. We pretty much go out and we’re real. We like to interact with our fans, and they know what we’re all about.
Suite 101: What is next for Hinder after the tour ends?
Rodden: We have a few headlining shows after this tour ends. Then, we’re going to start writing for the new record. We’re going into the studio on Jan. 1. It’s going to be all about writing.
Suite 101: Do you have any final thoughts, or anything you’d like to tell people about Hinder?
Rodden: Yeah, just come out to the shows. If you don't already have tickets, please get them. Come out, hang out, and rock. Pick up Take It to the Limit if you don't already have it, and we'll be bringing out a new album next year.
Hinder is currently touring with Nickelback, Papa Roach, and Saving Abel. Tickets for the remaining concert dates can be purchased through Ticketmaster. For more information on Hinder, visit the band’s website or read more of Rodden's thoughts on the band’s tour and quick rise to fame.
Hinder's Take It to the Limit
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