“Only a few bands have done that sort of thing so it’s exciting,” said guitarist Zach Myers. “As soon as we knew in the studio this was a concept record, we knew we had to put some visuals around it. We decided to make a music video for every song and have it kind of tell a story, but we also wanted to leave a little mystery in there.
“I don’t like giving away too much about what songs are about,” he continued. “People knew it was a concept record but they didn’t really know the ins and outs of it. The visuals help you along but you still have to figure some things out for yourself. A lot of things are still open to interpretation, which is what we wanted.”
Radio stars
Shinedown, which also includes Brent Smith (lead vocals), Eric Bass (bass) and Barry Kerch (drums), formed in Florida in 2001. The band’s debut, “Leave a Whisper,” was released in 2003, followed by “Us and Them” in 2005. Both albums were certified platinum and set the stage for the group’s tremendous success, which includes sales of more than 10 million albums and 10 million singles.
“Radio is very kind to us and I think we’re very kind to radio,” Myers said. “We weren’t MTV darlings. We weren’t on VH1. We’ve built this thing traveling to radio stations in rental cars, playing at 5:30 in the morning and not saying no to anything. The business has changed so much but, luckily, we got in when that kind of classic radio was still a thing. It still is but it certainly feels like it’s a wanning artform.”
Shinedown has an unmatched streak of placing all 27 of its singles in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart. In August 2020, Shinedown made more Billboard history by being the first band in its 40-year run to place 16 No.1 singles on that same chart.
“I like being respected for good work,” Myers said. “That’s all that really matters to me but it’s not something I’m going to spout off about every five minutes. It’s nice to be noticed for putting the work in but it doesn’t even feel real.
“When it comes to major accolades, as we get older we do take the day to appreciate it,” Myers continued. “You go, ‘Wow, we have the most number ones in the Active Rock Chart in Billboard in the history of the chart.’ You take those things in and then you go, ‘Alright, this is great but what can we do next?’ "
Off the road and back again
In addition to overseeing the production of the “Attention Attention” film, the members of Shinedown used the unexpected time off the road to work on new music. For Myers it was also a time to recharge and spend valuable time with his family.
“It’s been really nice,” he said. “I have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old so that’s time I’m never going to get again. It was definitely more time at a home than I ever would’ve had without, you know, a global pandemic. I enjoyed having the time to just be dad and turn Shinedown off for a minute. We all needed to turn Shinedown off for a minute.
“Brent never really feels that way but I feel like it really helped us,” Myers continued. “If you said to me three months ago, ‘Hey, do you want to go do a Shinedown tour next week?’ I’m almost positive I would’ve said no but I’m ready now.”
Shinedown launched the 2021 dates on Aug. 5 in Davenport, Iowa. This was the group’s first performance since a concert at the O2 Arena in London, England on Dec. 19, 2019.
“It’ll be 20 months between shows,” Myers said. “We’ve got around 30 shows this year and we’re looking forward to it. I’m excited for people to come be with each other and feel that sense of unity and togetherness they haven’t felt. This thing messed with a lot of people and I don’t think they realized how much they need that camaraderie with complete strangers.
“I hope people feel safe enough and comfortable enough to come out,” he added. “If you don’t, you don’t have to. We’ll catch you the next time around. It’s a weird time but if you do feel comfortable enough to come out to a show, let’s go and do it.”
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or e-mail at donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Shinedown with special guest Pop Evil
Where: Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10
Cost: $49-$119 in advance, $54-$124 day of show
More info: 937-296-3300 or www.fraze.com
Artist info: www.shinedown.com
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