No Doubt

Rock Steady

Gwen Stefani – Vocals
Tony Kanal – Bass
Tom Dumont – Guitar
Adrian Young – Drums

"It's the hardest thing in the world just to be simple, to let the music and the words speak for what you're feeling and, hopefully to share that feeling. And the feeling we all shared on this album turned out to be pretty simple, too: we were in a good mood."

- Gwen Stefani on the inspiration that drove Rock Steady

At the heart of the quartet's fifteen- year musical journey is a style, a sound that celebrates their enduring bond with their millions of fans, worldwide. The sound that gives the pleasure of pure pop: danceable, hummable, instantly accessible songs that have become the basic additions to the soundtrack.

"Rock Steady", being recorded in far flung locales such as London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Jamaica; with a roster of producers that pretty much cover the cutting edge of the studio art, is without question the most eclectic offering in the band's career.

"We were on tour pretty much all of last year," explains drummer Adrian Young, "And whenever we had some down time, we found ourselves listening to lots of Dancehall. It was kind of like getting back to where we once belonged." Dancehall is an evolution of reggae, ska and calypso that is currently rocking the clubs of Jamaica.

"We were part of the whole ska revival back when we first got together," continues Adrian, "The fact is that we had to work hard to prove we had a wider range, and I guess we did that. Because, this time around, we didn't feel like we had anything to prove. The whole point was to follow the music, wherever it led."

It was this feeling that led the group around the world looking for the sound they all loved. Their search meant that in every new setting, a new sound would be developed.

"This album was less about technique and more about attitude," asserts Tony.

"We took it one day at a time and it became a very spontaneous process. Tom had set up a studio at his place in L.A. and we'd write everything with a guitar or bass, this time we started just with beats and grooves and keyboards and built from there.

After a week or two of songwriting, Gwen had a trip planned to London. Since we were having such a good time, we just packed up and followed her over there. We knew we were onto something."

"After fifteen years together, you naturally create all kinds of rules about how things should be," concludes Gwen. "There comes a time when you've got to throw the rules out and start all over again. That's what keeps it fun and interesting. For us, that time has come."

It's this sentiment that gets to the heart of the brilliant music of "Rock Steady", an album that finds No Doubt comfortable at home with the risks and rewards of true originality.