Hoobastank March 8, 2009

When a band has as much success as Hoobastank, the motivation to top itself must come from within. That renewed desire can be heard from the very first notes of "My Turn," the first single from the group's fourth Island Def Jam Music Group album, Fornever, which marks a return to the rock roots of their first two releases, the platinum-plus self-titled debut and the two-million-plus-selling The Reason. "My Turn," a self-motivational anthem that marks the band's return to the airwaves, was Top 5 Most Added at Active Rock and 6 at Alternative even before its official impact with an alphabet soup of the country's leading stations putting it in their rotation. "We're very hungry this time," says vocalist/songwriter Doug Robb of the band, which came together in 1994, when he joined with a pair of his Agoura Hills high school classmates, Dan Estrin on guitar and Chris Hesse on drums. "Maybe there is a chip on our shoulder, because we have that fire in the belly again. We're ready to do whatever we have to in order to get back to where we want to be. Even if we won't come out and say so." Fornever was once again produced by longtime collaborator Howard Benson, who helmed the band's last two albums, 2006's gold-certified Every Man for Himself and 2004's two-million-plus selling The Reason. The latter earned three Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Album as well as Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for the title track, an international smash which went to 1 at Modern Rock, Adult Top 40 and Top 40 Mainstream and 2 on the Hot 100. The song was featured on the final episode of Friends, where it was heard by an audience of tens of millions, as well as on The OC.