Backstage at the big festivals is always a great place to get the inside scoop from bands. This was the case when I sat down with guitarist Keith Nelson of Buckcherry at Carolina Rebellion 2013. The band touring hard on their new album, Confessions, which debuted at #20 on the Billboard Top 200 back in February 2012. “The tours’ been going really great,” Keith said. “Since we released the record, we’ve been to Australia, Japan, Canada, all over the U.S. It’s been going really well.” The band’s new album is a concept record of sorts, pertaining to the Seven Deadly Sins. “It’s a very natural progression for us, a bit of a darker theme for us, but it’s time for us to make that kind of record,” Keith stated.
Buckcherry formed in 1997 and released their self-titled debut album in 1999. The
album hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, and #74 on the Billboard Top 200. It would eventually be certified Gold by the RIAA. The record’s lead single, “Lit Up”, was the band’s first #1 hit, and was later ranked at #98 on VH1‘s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. Buckcherry supported the album by touring with Lenny Kravitz, and taking part in the epic anniversary festival Woodstock ’99. After surviving that show, the band went on to tour with their heroes, AC/DC. After two years of hard touring, Buckcherry entered the studio again and released their sophomore effort, Time Bomb, in 2001. It spawned the hit single, “Ridin’”, and several other fan favorites.
After a 3-year hiatus, the band reformed in 2005 and released 15 in 2006. It produced 5 hit singles, including “Crazy Bitch”, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band toured that summer on Crüe Fest with Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach, SIXX:A.M., and Trapt. The next few years would see Buckcherry enjoy their biggest commercial success ever, with 2008′s Black Butterfly and 2010′s All Night Long debuting at #8 and #10 respectively on the Billboard Top 200. On these album cycles, the band toured with the likes of KISS, Limp Bizkit, Hellyeah, and All That Remains. The band had featured slots at Rocklahoma in 2010 and 2012. by Matt Bishop