Hoobastank

Hoobastank's third album, "Everyman For Himself," sold more than 100,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release last year, and proved that Hoobastank was more than a "one-hit wonder."  

Hoobastank's Doug Robb and Dan Estrin

And unlike earlier Hoobastank albums, the new CD explored issues other than love and relationships. 

"As far as writing the songs,” says Robb, “it is always about where I was personally and philosophically in my own life.  The reason there is not lots of relationship-based songs in this record, maybe one or two out of 12.  A lot of it is just more philosophical or life observational-type songs, which, kind of shows where I was at that time, and I may not be there anymore. You want to sing about a lot of different things."

"The Reason", released in 2004, has remained the band's most successful song ever by topping charts in the U.S., and staying on Canada's Top 10 for a record-breaking 20 weeks.

Doug Robb reflects on their success. "If that is or was the most successful point of our careers, I would not change it."

The band came up with its meaningless but memorable name while playing after-school parties.  They planned to change it as soon as they signed with a major label.  But the studio urged them to keep the name.

"People don't realize that we have been in this band for 12 years,” Robb says. “Twelve years ago we were playing, you know, after-school parties, stuff like that.  We were a much quirkier, less-serious band at the time.  The name has that quirky, silly feel to it.  But we grew and the name didn't. It is what it is now, and it is one of those things that, strangely enough, has become a semi-household name.  Whether they like it or not, people have heard of it, and they remember it once they hear it."