Default 2002 color press photo
Photo: TVT

<P>Default have tapped "Live a Lie" as the third single off their debut, <I>The Fallout.</I> Melodically bolstered by piano and acoustic guitar, the successor to "Wasting My Time" and "Deny" has just started to get spins at radio, a TVT Records spokesperson said. Last week the band shot a video for the tune in its hometown of Vancouver with director Wendy Morgan. Singer Dallas Smith, drummer Danny Craig, guitarist Jeremy Hora and bassist Dave Benedict, along with a pianist, are seen playing on a revolving stage before an audience, while silhouetted onlookers perched on a catwalk observe from above. The performance clip is in the editing stage and is expected to surface in early November. While shooting "Live a Lie," Morgan also captured some performance footage to be used in the clip for "Sick and Tired," which looks to be the fourth single. She will likely co-direct the video with Meredith Wilson, whose banked concert scenes will probably be incorporated in the clips. Default will be opening for Creed on tour starting October 29 in Las Vegas and winding down November 17 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Days later they embark for Europe, where they'll perform with Nickelback from November 20 in Hamburg, Germany, to December 4 in Dublin, Ireland.</p>

• Default

Nickelback's Chad Kroeger live
Photo: David Ungar

<P><B>EAST LANSING, Michigan</B> &#151; Judging by the number of cars bearing Canada license plates around Michigan State University's Breslin Center on Tuesday, it was clear that Vancouver's Nickelback were going to feel right at home. Fans waved maple-leaf flags around the venue before the Campus Invasion show, which also featured performances by Starsailor, Injected and Nickelback prot&eacute;g&eacute;es Default (see <a href="/news/articles/1452672/nickelback-default-invade-universities.jhtml">"Nickelback, Default, Injected Invading A College Near You"</a>). Others sat atop their rides shouting pro-Canada slogans. Stepping onstage to sweeping, cinematic music, Nickelback kicked off their set with "Woke Up This Morning." Singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger was obviously pleased with Nickelback's newfound multiplatinum status &#151; he grinned incessantly as fans punched their fists in the air and sang along with the album track. The quartet looked more like good ol' boys from the South than Canadian rockers; they all wore cowboy boots, and bassist Mike Kroeger donned a white cowboy hat. No wonder they adopted the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme as entrance music for their fall tour. During their 90-minute set, Nickelback whipped through most of the material from their two U.S. records, last year's <I>Silver Side Up</I> and 2000's <I>The State.</I> Kroeger and Ryan Peake created a wall of sound with their guitars on songs such as "One Last Run" and "Breathe." Harmonies were near flawless, as were Kroeger's album-ready vocals. For "Cowboy Hat," the Kroeger brothers and Peake opted to take the stage in a metal fashion, standing along the rim to jam during a bridge. The Kroegers and Peake took turns playing atop pedestals and a walkway that stretched behind the drumkit and wall of speakers. Nickelback's set also included two new songs, and frontman Kroeger invited the audience to "email us, write us, scream at us at the end of the f---ing show" to voice their opinions on the tracks. One of the new songs, tentatively titled "Figured You Out," is an overtly sexual tune that includes the line "I love the pants around your feet." The track is perhaps one of Nickelback's best, with a stop-and-start guitar style that segues into smooth two-part harmony. Fans, most of whom were college-aged and decked out in Abercrombie & Fitch, responded fervently when Chad Kroeger asked, "What do you think? Does that one make the cut?" The spring 2002 installment of the Campus Invasion Tour began with an outdoor set on the MTV2 stage by England's Starsailor, whose mellow performance was in stark contrast to their tourmates'. Inside the venue, at 7:30 p.m., Injected opened the show with a short set of material from their major-label debut, <I>Burn It Black.</I> Lead singer Danny Grady flashed devil horns to the audience, who more than eagerly returned the gesture. Default provided a tight, crystal-clear set featuring songs from their U.S. debut, <I>The Fallout,</I> which was co-produced by Chad Kroeger. With a firm grip on the microphone, vocalist Dallas Smith looked like just another fraternity boy on campus, but his powerful voice belied his appearance. Default kicked off their set with "Slow Me Down," allowing Smith to stop midway to yell, "Michigan State University, make some noise." Guitarist Jeremy Hora laid down a series of blues licks before bassist Dave Benedict threw a water bottle in the air to kick off "Seize the Day." They closed the set with their latest single, "Deny." As they did on their fall tour, Nickelback wrapped up the evening with an acoustic set. They performed a rendition of Big Wreck's "Mistake" and teased the audience with a mellow verse from "How You Remind Me." Inviting the audience to sing along, Chad Kroeger said, "I think you can sing a lot louder than that. Ready?" Nickelback paused, strapped on electric instruments and pounded away to a strong finish. Read about all of the shows we've recently covered in <A HREF="http://www.mtv.com/news/topics/t/tours_hub/">Tour Reports</A>. </p>

• Nickelback
• Default
• Injected
• Starsailor

Default's Dallas Smith live in NYC
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

<P>Their video for "Deny," starring Muhammad Ali 's daughter Laila Ali, is nearing release, and the hard-rockin' song is going strong on radio, but Default are already planning their next single. Vocalist Dallas Smith would love to hear the propulsive "Sick & Tired" booming across the radio, but he's aware that marketing two heavy songs back-to-back might not be the best career move, and he and his bandmates can't agree on a softer track to push. So they're leaving it up to their fans to vote on the <A HREF="http://www.defaultonline.com" TARGET="_blank">Default Web site</A> for the next single from <I>Fallout</I> (2001). " 'Live a Lie' is the one winning right now, and that's the one I actually want," Smith said, adding that he might be subtly encouraging the fans' decision. "I mention that's one of my favorite songs on the album every night in the shows." Like "Deny," "Live a Lie" is about living among the ruins of a crumbling relationship, and the lyrics are vague enough to remain universal. "Actually, I try to keep them pretty general so I keep myself out of trouble," Smith said. "We all grew up in pretty good households. All of our parents are still together, which is very rare. I wasn't abused as a kid, so we didn't have anything like that to write about. So we just write about things everyone has gone through. And the only things that we have really gone through is girl problems." In order to avoid future girl problems, Smith plans to fly Kelly, his girlfriend of four years, to as many shows as possible. And there are lots of shows. Over the next four months, Default will tour heavily, first with Nickelback until May 1 as part of the Campus Invasion tour, then with Creed on a jaunt that starts May 3 in Noblesville, Indiana. While he enjoys spending time at home with friends and family, Smith feels comfortable on the road and looks forward to every show. "We try to keep it as high-energy as possible by bringing the emotion that's on the CD to the stage," he said. "When I was a kid, I was a fan of a lot of bands. I would love their CDs, then I saw them live and I was totally disappointed. So we practice a lot to make sure we can bring across the music. We try really hard not to disappoint people."</p>

• Default

Sum 41 group color shot MTV Exclusive (Eufloria)
Photo: Eufloria

<P>Songs by Sum 41, Alien Ant Farm, Default and Slipknot's Corey Taylor as well as a collaboration between Jerry Cantrell and members of Nickelback and Saliva are being considered for the upcoming "Spider-Man" movie soundtrack. Sum 41 plan to contribute a Rick Rubin-produced version of "It's What We're All About," and they're shooting a video for the tune Wednesday (March 20) in their hometown of Toronto, according to an Island Def Jam spokesperson. The song, a live version of which appears on the four-song EP <I>Motivation,</I> is expected to be the soundtrack's first single. Alien Ant Farm recorded the track "Bug Bytes" in January, according to their publicist; and a song by Slipknot lead screamer Corey Taylor's solo project has been submitted, according to a source close to that band. Taylor's an admitted Web-head fan and even wears a Spider-Man ring. Though they have yet to hit the studio, according to a publicist close to the project, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger and Saliva frontman Josey Scott are preparing the tentatively titled "Hero," while Default will lend their "Blind" to the collection. The song was co-written and co-produced by the band and Kroeger, who also produced and co-wrote much of Default's debut, <I>The Fallout.</I> Aerosmith have recently recorded a few possible tunes for the soundtrack in Maui, Hawaii, according to their publicist; and Planet Us, a group comprising former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar and current bassist Michael Anthony along with Journey guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo, have offered two possibilities, the band's manager said. The soundtrack is due April 30, a week later than previously expected, according to a Columbia Records spokesperson. The film, which stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, hits theatres May 3. Reeling in a track list for the soundtrack is somewhat sticky. A Columbia spokesperson said no decisions have been made on what will be included, and discussions are still pending on whether the resulting LP will be primarily song-based, score-based, a combination of the two or two separate records.</p>

• Sum 41
• Alien Ant Farm
• Default
• Slipknot

Default color press photo
Photo: Courtesy of TVT

<P>Relationships bear the strangest fruit. While a successful one can yield sweet happiness, ones gone sour leave behind a tough nut of a lesson and occasionally &#151; as was the case for Default's Dallas Smith &#151; they inspire a hit single. The pulsing "Wasting My Time," the first single off Default's aggressively melodic debut, <I>The Fallout,</I> stemmed from Smith's rough evening spent contemplating the value of his romantic involvement with a special someone. "We had the melody for it, but I was having a hard time writing lyrics," he said. "I went out to a bar one night with my girlfriend and got into a huge fight. It was actually the night we were doing demos for the new recording. I was drunk and pissed off, and that's what came out. ... [So the song's about] being in a relationship and realizing it's a dead-end situation. Realizing that, after a while, you've wasted your time." Smith eventually drew the conclusion that his relationship wasn't all for naught (the couple is still together), though the evening's revelation left him richer in more ways than one. "Wasting My Time" is #13 with a bullet on the <I>R&R</I> Alternative Top 50, and the clip, in which the group is transported into a woman's wristwatch, receives considerable spins on video outlets. For the past nine weeks, the band has been exposing its repertoire to thousands of potential fans by opening for fellow Vancouverites Nickelback &#151; an inevitable match, considering how Default got their start. Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger produced an album by Default guitarist Jeremy Hora and drummer Danny Craig's former band. When the two split from that group to form the Fallout, who would later change their name to Default, with Smith, they recorded a handful of demos and had Kroeger take a listen. The tracks met with the Nickelback frontman's approval, to say the least. "I was blown away," Kroeger said. "Right away, I think [I] called [them] at one o'clock in the morning, and I'm like, 'Guys, the stuff is good. We've got to get back into the studio and do another record.' " The band, which now includes bassist Dave Benedict, didn't have the money to afford studio sessions so soon after cutting the demo, and Kroeger "didn't really feel like putting up the cake for their album." With borrowed money from Smith's father, they recorded <I>The Fallout</I> in a few weeks, with Kroeger producing. "They're really becoming a great band. It's fun to take these guys on the road with us, because every night they keep on getting better and better," Kroeger enthused. "Dallas has got almost perfect pitch. I don't think I've heard the kid sing flat once in my life. They're going to be a great band." After their current tour winds down December 19, Smith plans to vacation in Mexico before rejoining Nickelback for a two-week Canadian stadium tour, beginning January 17. Then, he predicts, Default will return Stateside for more shows. At that point, Default's second single, the bluntly punchy "Deny," should be infiltrating airwaves. The group expects the video to be a big hit, pun intended. Recently shot by director Noble Jones, who also helmed "Wasting My Time," the clip features the band performing while boxer Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad, trades blows in the ring. Each time Ali takes a punch the effects are felt by Smith, who is left bruised and swollen by the end of the video. Whether or not Default achieve Nickelback's level of platinum success, Smith said he wants to return Kroeger's favor to another band on its way up. He's already got his eyes on hometown heroes Morning Maker, led by former Econoline Crush guitarist Rob Morfitt. Default already tapped the group for their first Canadian tour. "I'd love to get into producing and doing the exact same thing [Chad] did for us," Smith said. "We always take demo CDs when people give them to us. We listen to them. There's been a couple that we thought were pretty good. We might eventually give them a call and see if they want to do something down the road." </p>

• Default
• Nickelback

Nickelback's Ryan Peake and Chad Kroeger playing an acoustic set in MTV studios
Photo: MTV

<P>Waitresses will have to excuse Nickelback if they order their eggs <I>Silver Side Up</I> &#151; the Canadian rockers are focused on promoting their new record, and to that end they've just announced dates for a headlining fall U.S. tour. <I>Silver Side Up,</I> the band's second album, features the hit single "How You Remind Me" and currently sits at #5 on the <I>Billboard</I> 200 albums chart after peaking at #3. Nickelback will jet to Europe on Thursday for three weeks before returning to the States for their headlining stint, which begins October 30 at the Showbox in Seattle. Fellow Canadians Default will open throughout the tour, joined by Seven Channels through November 9; Saliva will hook up with them starting November 11. Nickelback tour dates, according to Roadrunner Records:<UL> <LI>10/11 - West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club <LI>10/30 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox <LI>10/31 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom <LI>11/1 - Boise, ID @ Big Easy <LI>11/2 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club DV8 <LI>11/3 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre <LI>11/5 - Lincoln, NE @ Royal Grove <LI>11/6 - Fargo, ND @ Playmaker's Pavilion <LI>11/7 - Duluth, MN @ NorShor Theatre <LI>11/9 - Wausau, WI @ Bases Loaded <LI>11/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave <LI>11/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club <LI>11/13 - St Louis, MO @ The Pageant <LI>11/14 - Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club <LI>11/16 - Lubbock, TX @ Cattleguard Pavilion <LI>11/17 - The Woodlands, TX @ C.W. Mitchell Pavilion <LI>11/20 - Birmingham, AL @ Five Points Music Hall <LI>11/21 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle <LI>11/23 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's <LI>11/24 - Louisville, KY @ Jillian's <LI>11/25 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre <LI>11/26 - Mt. Pleasant, MI @ Rose Arena <LI>11/29 - Boston, MA @ Avalon <LI>11/30 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom <LI>12/4 - Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer Theatre <LI>12/11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ M <LI>12/12 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Union Center</UL> </p>

• Nickelback
• Default
• Seven Channels
• Saliva

Wasting My Time

• Artist: Default
• Label: TVT Records
• Director: Noble Jones
• Album: Caravan