Simple Plan talk bridging the gap between old and new pop punk with 'Taking One For The Team'

APTV Correspondent Nick Major met up with Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau to get the scoop on their first new album in five years.

The guys get down to business and address what we have all been wondering: What took so long?

“We really didn’t intend to. That [was] not part of the plan,” Bouvier explains. “I think that with the years, we feel that as a band we need to push ourselves and raise the bar every time, and the bar has become higher and higher.”

Pierre and Chuck go on to explain the vicious cycle they found themselves in when making the record. They wanted to stay true to who they are and satisfy old-school fans while still appealing to the new scene and not getting stuck doing the same thing all the time.

“We’re perfectionists,” Bouvier says. “We’re not satisfied with the first idea we have.”

He continues by explaining that while Simple Plan enjoy challenging themselves and throwing curveballs to their fans—it is important to maintain the branding and sound for which they're known.

 “I’m a 36 year old guy, and I still get excited about hearing a really good pop punk record,” Bouvier said. “It’s part of who we are and who we’ll always be.”

Comeau feels that Taking One For The Team achieved the perfect balance between the old and new.

The guys also spoke about filming the “Boom” music video at the APMAs with several other artists such as PVRIS, Pierce The Veil and Silverstein.

“I think it was cool to bridge the gap also between two generations of pop-punk bands and sort of Warped Tour AP artists,” Comeau said.

The conversation turns to Simple Plan working with Juliet Simms for their track “I Dream About You” and how the band has remained tighter than ever over the years.

Watch the video for details!

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Host/Video/Editing: Nick Major