Good Charlotte -- A Day in the Life

Though they look the rocker part, Joel and Benji bring a workman-like effort to this whole promotion business, something that comes from 10 years of making music. "The blue-collar part of me looks at this as a job," Joel tells PopEater between interviews. "I love making music and playing shows, and this is part of the job."

That love for music is clear from the rocking playlist they create and introduce, sans script. Of putting together the playlist, Benji tells us, "We didn't want to go too far off the beaten path." Still, they get fairly adventurous with Ben Lee in the top spot, Avenged Sevenfold (who interestingly, though they are very musically different, Good Charlotte call their "best friends in music"), Band of Horses, Bright Eyes (one of several acts they selected based on lyrics), Owl City, Gallows (who they declare to be one of their favorite live shows), Weezer and their own song, 'River.'



One wonders, after a decade of making albums, how Benji and Joel can narrow it down to a favorite song, but they simply introduce it as being one "very close to our heart." Their current project, 'Cardiology,' is definitely the one closest to their hearts at this moment, though. "I think this record sums up what we do," Benji says in the GoTV interview. "'Cardiology' is a great example of Good Charlotte, not only where we are now," adds Joel.

It's why they're here today, and, after this, going to the Fox lot where Fuel TV is located to tape 'The Daily Habit' (airing on Nov. 15) and then off to Europe the next day, and then to Bolivia, to Istanbul, to wherever they need to go to get the word out. "I think the payoff is that on Nov. 2 'Cardiology' comes out, and we have a record that's out there forever now . It's like a baby being born," Joel says.


They do have to answer, at least to themselves, the question of whether it's worth it. This particular interview comes only days after Joel's fiancée, Nicole Richie, has posted a letter online blasting the paparazzi for waiting outside of their kids' school. When we're sitting in a dressing room at Fox Studios while Joel and Benji are doing separate phone interviews, Joel tells PopEater, "I show great restraint," proving that he is very measured in talking about the distractions and problems of the paparazzi. He also displays an attitude any parent can understand and appreciate, saying, "It used to make me crazy, but now I only get upset when it involves my kids."

He is, like the rest of the members of his band, a devoted family man. When he and bassist Billy Martin are in a dressing room signing literally thousands of CD booklets and flats -- autographed memorabilia that will go to everybody that pre-orders 'Cardiology' on the band's website -- the talk turns to baby diets and nap schedules: what hours the babies sleep and the band members are able to get their own rest in. It's a far cry from the early days of Good Charlotte, and again, far from the perception others have of tatted-up rockers, but this is a family-oriented band now. "I'm really proud of my band, that everybody is involved in their kids' lives," Joel says with the same boastfulness he would if Good Charlotte had just won five Grammys.


The role of being a parent is a part of their music on 'Cardiology,' one that has directly influenced the writing of the album. "[There's] a song that I wrote for my daughter called 'Harlow's Song,' and it was originally like a lullaby, and then [Benji] heard it and really liked it, and the guys heard it and they all liked it," Joel says. "I've never written a song like that. It was pretty interesting. It's like a straight love song for somebody. It's a lullaby, and it ended up being on the record. I've never really had the ability to write songs like that. So I guess my life has changed a lot. "

For all of Good Charlotte that is the case, and they are equally proud of that on 'Cardiology.' "We're older now, we're better at everything we do, we're smarter," Joel says. "We've been around long enough to kind of deal with anything, and you can feel that on this record."

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