The Modern Age

The Verve Pipe's Brian Vander Ark isn't afraid to admit he hates festivals. "There is just no dynamic to them because you get put on a bill with a lot of bands that don't have the same appeal as you. Plus, your sets are short. Once you get going, it's time to get off," he says, hours before taking the stage at a Columbus, Ohio, radio show. "I'd like to avoid them altogether, but they're a necessary evil for a band who owes a lot to radio stations and fans. We have a lot coming up, so I'll just have to pull up my bootstraps and remember people paid to see a good show."
He also has a fight to pick with the day-to-day business of the music industry. "There is an adrenaline rush when you first get signed, and you sort of lose your way. When "Villains' took off, everything was a big lovefest, and everyone wants a piece of you. You start to become a bit of an actor instead of a human with a cool job. When we sat down to make this album, we had a meeting to say straight up that we need to do what we want and ignore the popularity and the label folks and the consultants. We don't need to create by committee. We already have five people to please."
His earnest nature and willingness to speak his mind are commendable, but Vander Ark discards any notions of being heroic. Which is what "Hero," this issue's Modern Rock Tracks No. 35, is about.
" "Hero' is written from my perspective onstage and speaks to the audience. There's a strange separation between crowd and artist that I'm not comfortable with. I don't want to be a hero or a role model, but this job turns you into that. There is pressure from parents and community groups. I smoke, cuss, and drink too much. That's personal business, but it's difficult to separate. Yet I'm thrilled if I can inspire someone to pick up a guitar and write a song."