Simple Plan

Simple Plan is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Simple Plan, released on February 12, 2008. The album was a large musical departure from the band's previous albums, as its theme was more love-based than teen angst. It reached number 2 on the Canadian album charts, number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and charted in the top 10 worldwide in countries including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Sweden and Switzerland. Background Simple Plan released their second album Still Not Getting Any... in October 2004. In July 2005, vocalist Pierre Bouvier said that while they hadn't written any new material, he expected them to release a new record by mid 2006. Touring in support of Still Not Getting Any... concluded in February 2006 with a European trek. Bouvier said the band aimed to write new material for around three months, and have a new record out by the end of the year. Instead, the band took a break in March, and began writing every day since April. Bouvier and Comeau wrote material together in a room using Pro Tools with programmed drums, eventually coming up with demos. By November, they had 70–80 ideas for new songs, which had been written between Montreal, San Diego and Barbados, and 10–11 completed ones. Major label Atlantic Records, which the group were signed to, said the band were going to enter a recording studio in November. However, the members weren't impressed by the material they had up to this point and delayed they recording plans, much to the chagrin of Atlantic. Production Writing continued up to the Christmas period; following two shows in Brazil in January 2007, the band had planned to entered a studio at the end of the month with Bob Rock, who had produced their previous album. However, their plans to record basic tracks were delayed as Rock was busy working with the Offspring. In early March, the band finished two songs, before traveling to Miami, Florida where they recorded another song at Hit Factory Criteria Studios with Danja. He was known as Timbaland's protégé and had worked with Britney Spears; the band felt working with him was a change of pace due to his production background. Danja played the band some synthesizer-based and beat-focussed ideas that they would write over. The group subsequently wrote the remainder of what would feature on their album.