“SIMPLE PLAN,” the long-awaited new album from Lava/Atlantic recording group Simple Plan, has made a triumphant chart debut, both here and around the world. The Montreal-based band’s third studio effort — which features the singles “When I’m Gone” and “Your Love Is A Lie” — was the Billboard 200’s highest-charting debut of the week at #14, while also placing high on a variety of additional tallies, including #3 on “Top Rock Albums,” #4 on “Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums,” and #7 on “Top Digital Albums.” In addition, the album reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Store’s “Top Pop Albums” ranking.
Internationally, “SIMPLE PLAN” arrived at #1 in Mexico, #2 in Brazil and Canada (where it came in at #1 in the band’s native Quebec), and #3 in Japan. Furthermore, the album premiered in the top 10 in such far-away lands as Hong Kong, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and Germany, with top 20 debuts in Spain, Finland, and France.
Simple Plan will celebrate the new album’s success on Thursday, March 6th with an eagerly awaited concert performance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The multi-platinum combo recently heralded the arrival of “SIMPLE PLAN” with a slate of high-profile TV appearances, including NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” Fox’s “The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet,” Fuse’s “The Sauce,” and MTV’s “TRL,” where Simple Plan served as house band throughout the show.
“Your Love Is A Lie,” the second single from “SIMPLE PLAN,” has just impacted at Hot AC and CHR/Top 40 radio outlets nationwide. A companion video clip — directed by legendary video helmer Wayne Isham (Metallica, Kid Rock, Bon Jovi) — is currently in pre-production.
“Your Love Is A Lie” follows the album’s first hit, “When I’m Gone,” which continues to draw spins at Top 40, Alternative, and Hot AC. What’s more, the “When I’m Gone” companion video — featuring ubiquitous celebrity blog icon Perez Hilton — is currently in play at MTV, MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV.com, The N, Fuse, and Music Choice, where Simple Plan will be “Artist of the Month” for March.
Simple Plan has just begun its “North American Fan Appreciation” tour, which sees the band getting up close and personal with their audience by performing at intimate club-sized venues for the first time in years. Springfield, IL-based The Graduate will be performing as special guests. The shows kicked off with a sold out set on February 25th at New York City’s The Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza, and will be followed by eagerly awaited stops in Philadelphia, Hartford, Detroit, and Chicago. From there, Simple Plan will cross the Atlantic for a major European tour, slated to rock venues in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, Belgium, France, and The Czech Republic through late April. Further information — including additional North American tour dates and on-sale details — will be announced shortly.
Long known for their close relationship with their fans, Simple Plan has also announced the launch of the first official Simple Plan Fan Club. Full details can be accessed at www.simpleplan.com and www.myspace.com/SimplePlan.
“SIMPLE PLAN” finds the Montreal-based combo teaming up with a truly unique line-up of production talent, including Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne), Danja (T.I., Timbaland, Justin Timberlake), and Max Martin (James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne). From the tight dance groove of the R&B-flavored “The End” to the unabashed power balladry of “I Can Wait Forever,” the album stands as the band’s most inventive, genre-defying collection to date, a blend of classic punk energy and modern pop sonics that’s both utterly distinctive and deliriously entertaining.
“I think we all felt we needed to do something that would be a little more daring and stretch the envelope of who we are,” explains frontman Pierre Bouvier. “We were just trying to make a record that will leave a little more of a mark.”
“There was sort of a realization we needed to shake things up and really take chances and just go for it,” adds drummer Chuck Comeau. “To do something that was still us but would challenge ourselves.”
