For the four members of melodic hard-rock band Shinedown, life on the road has definitely landed them in the former category.

Indeed, after a solid 23 months of touring behind debut album Leave a Whisper (Atlantic), the group — singer Brent Smith, guitarist Jasin Todd, bassist Brad Stewart and drummer Barry Kerch — barely took enough time to do their laundry before hitting the studio for the follow-up, last year’s Us and Them. “We took two weeks off and then went right back into the studio,” affirms Smith.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based outfit, riding the crest of its ubiquitous radio single, “Fly from the Inside,” has garnered favorable comparisons to everyone from 3 Doors Down and Nickelback to Alice in Chains and Alter Bridge, but Us and Them (a pointed reference to the close relationship Shinedown has with its fans) finds them carving out their own identity.

“I had more to talk about on the second record,” Smith says. “There are so many songs about fans and the people I talked to, and their lives and their relationships. In a way, I feel like I took what they couldn’t talk about and hopefully I wrote down what they felt.”

Currently riding the nation’s highways, Shinedown found the time to deliver an iTunes EP in June (featuring two versions of recent fave “I Dare You”) and is gearing up for a fall tour supporting Godsmack and Rob Zombie. The constant nearness has turned the group into a close-knit family.

“It’s about a unity, a brotherhood,” says Smith, “and about sharing what we’ve all been through and being able to take it to the stage.”]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/4043 Artists, 3 Doors Down, Alter Bridge, Chevelle, Deadman, Seether, Snow Patrol, Tantric, Theory of a Deadman, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, On The Scene Glass Intrepid is an original alternative rock band based out of Houston, Texas. Comprised of four members: Bryan Scott (vocals/guitar), Robb Marshall (guitar), Reed Lang (bass) and Corey Spahr (drums), Glass Intrepid (GI) has close to seven years total experience as a band. Over the years, GI has gained a considerable following having played at almost every major venue in Houston, Dallas and Austin, as well as numerous venues through out the state of Texas. Glass Intrepid has received continuous airplay on multiple radio stations, including 94.5FM KTBZ “The Buzz” Houston, TX; 107.9FM KEYJ Abilene, TX; 90.3FM WHCR Fordham University New York City; 91.7FM KTRU Rice College Houston, TX; UCLA Radio.com Los Angeles, CA; and 89.5FM WAKE Winston-Salem, NC, just to name a few. Their music video for the single “Good Enough” is currently airing on the Austin Music Network, the premier local music station in Austin.

Glass Intrepid has shared the stage with many national acts such as Papa Roach, 3 Doors Down, Sum 41, Breaking Benjamin, The Used, Snow Patrol, My American heart, The Vanished, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Exies, Drowning Pool, Unwritten Law, Alter Bridge, Mudvayne, Trust Company, Lit and Seether. Glass Intrepid was awarded by Unsigned as the Best Unsigned Rock Band in Texas allowing them to appear at KTBZ’s Buzz Fest XV in Houston, Texas. Glass Intrepid also won a spot on the 2005 Vans Warped tour leading them to recently win first place in the 9th Annual Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands competition out of 10,000 bands nationally. This led to an opportunity to showcase at the Key Club in Hollywood.

Glass Intrepid is legally represented by Nick Ferrara of Serling, Rooks & Ferrara, New York, and managed by In De Goot Entertainment based out of New York, manager for 3 Doors Down, Blackstone Cherry, Chevelle, Deepfield, Dekko, Earshot, Exit the King, Halestorm, Instruction, Life of Agony, No Address, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Secretary Bird, Shinedown, Silvertide, Tantric and Theory of a Deadman. In De Goot Entertainment is currently shopping GI to major record labels in hopes of landing a recording contract and begin work on their debut album.

Glass Intrepid has started a buzz in the music industry that is growing by the day. Their love for playing music is evident on stage as they put all their energy into an intense live show. Music is their passion and their very existence, as well as their desire to spread something great to the world.

“Glass Intrepid is quite possibly the best band that Houston has to offer!”

- Zakk United (94.5 KTBZ)

“They have the look, the songs, the energy… Absolutely terrific!”

- Joanne Grand (Senior Director, Rock Formats, Jive Records)

“Glass Intrepid is the best up and coming rock band!”

- Paul Bassman (Manager of Drowning Pool, Dallas, Texas)

“The music on this album is very personal to me,” says Ed Sloan, the band’s lead singer. “I can listen and feel the strong emotions that were the catalysts for a lot of the songs. I hope that listeners will be able to hear our music and make it their own, much in the same way that I connected with bands like Metallica, and other artists who really put a lot of actual feelings and meaning into their music and lyrics.”

While Crossfade’s writing process often begins with Sloan fleshing out the basic structure on guitar, kicking around lyrics and melody lines, he says, “When we all get together and start to forge the song as a band, through, that’s when it really takes off. Mitch (James) is a phenomenal bass player, and manages to breathe energy into everything he touches. Tony (Byroads) will just start throwing out vocal ideas and great samples he creates on the pads, and they never fail to add a dimension and depth that wasn’t there before.” The band added drummer James Branham in 2004 when their previous drummer left to pursue other interests.

Since the album was released in April of 2004 the band has sold over a million copies, posted over 350,000 digital downloads and hit the road with acts such as Seether, Alter Bridge, Shinedown, Chevelle and more. Their singles “Cold,” “So Far Away” and “Colors” have all had huge success on the Active Rock, Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts including an incredible, record-breaking 65 straight week run on Active Rock for “Cold.”

For more info visit their website at crossfadeonline.com and be sure to check out their self-titled, debut album out now on Columbia Records.

BMI's Samantha Cox (left) welcomes Shinedown lead singer Brent Smith and manager Corey Sheridan to the BMI NY office. Photo by Dana Rodriguez

The hard-rocking Jacksonville, Florida quartet, currently on tour with 3 Doors Down and Alter Bridge, was in town for an in-studio performance on Clear Channel's exclusive new radio series called Stripped.]]> 2005-11-29T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234516 Artists, Alter Bridge, Creed, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, Hitmaker, Type, Important Is there life after a multi-platinum career in Creed? Three former members of that band, along with vocalist Myles Kennedy, certainly think so, starting with their new incarnation as the melodically rocking band Alter Bridge .

"After all Creed achieved professionally, I felt that I needed to refocus on the goals that I had personally," says guitarist Mark Tremonti, who along with drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall exited Creed to start the new group. "One of those goals was to get back to my rock & roll roots."

The result, One Day Remains (Wind-up), features sledgehammer-heavy tunes like "Metalingus" and "Watch Your Words" sitting comfortably aside more radio-ready tracks like the catchy "Open Your Eyes." As a whole, the album is reminiscent of some of the great rock albums of the 1970s — something that was hardly accidental.

"The '70s can really be defined by one word: real," Tremonti declares. "From the beginning, we have tried to work within the parameters of being true to that quality, while at the same time bringing the sound into the 21st century. I do believe that the realness comes out in this music purely as a product of us doing this for the fun of it. It begins and ends with the love of the music."

Kennedy, who previously served time with alternative rock outfit The Mayfield Four, adds: "It is so important to begin with a great song. If the song is not there, it will never work."

While dealing earnestly with its subjects in a sober manner, Alter Bridge avoids self-seriousness. As a matter of fact, the group went bungee-jumping together from a 300-foot drop to welcome Kennedy into the band. "This is representative of what is going on with the new band," says Phillips. "Everything is a lot of fun for us."]]> 2005-08-02T18:00:00-05:00