After their extensive tour, during which they brought down the house in Brazil, the men of Simple Plan have been working on their fourth album, which is the follow-up to their 2008 eponymous album. The pop punk group has put the pedal to the medal in terms of writing material for their new album, and if all goes as planned, they will be heading into the studio this fall or winter to record an album due out in spring or summer 2010. However, this hasn’t stopped the band from giving shows in the meantime. This is an interview with guitarist Sebastien Lefebvre.

For your disc Simple Plan, you lined up a handful of collaborators and certain ones were first-rate. Whom would you absolutely love to work with on your fourth album?

I loved working with Bob Rock and Dave Fortman. Those two collaborations were very relaxing and pleasant. Dave Fortman is a party animal, and is always ready to go out and have fun with the guys. Bob Rock has a good work ethic. I really like the sound of the album. I would love to work with them again, but there are many new producers that are very good as well, so we’ll see.

Songs from your most recent album, Simple Plan, have lyrical messages about taking life into your own hands and having the power to change things. Who was behind these words of wisdom?

I think that it’s a little bit of everyone’s doing, because when working as a group, we realized that if you don’t take matters into your own hands, nothing much will happen. Even if you have a record company behind you, or this and that, if you don’t come up with your own ideas, you are not necessarily going to progress in the way you would want. I think that the lyrics come from there, from our slightly rebellious side. Being in a music group is something unconventional. The chances of succeeding are still very slim. Among the innumerable albums that get released, maybe only five are known. So we often spread the message that if you really exert yourself, you have a chance.

What was it like having bodyguards in Brazil?

Honestly, we found it funny, because it’s the only place in the world where we’ve had to have them. It was pretty cool and pimpin’ to constantly walk around with bodyguards. We are not used to that, because it is not in our group’s nature. Normally, we always see our fans after the show. However, over there, it’s a little more dangerous if we go out alone. But it was still a blast in Brazil, mostly because of the crowd. It’s one of the rare places where the crowd goes extremely wild, apart from Mexico and a few places in Asia. The fans are really intense and passionate. It’s really special and exotic.

Which songs seemed to get the crowd pumping over there?

Towards the end of the show, Pierre came out with his guitar and made the people sing. When it was the crowd’s turn to sing, they gave it their all. Perfect and Crazy got the crowd going. In fact, people really got into the other songs as well, but at the end of the show, when we went acoustic, we could really hear them sing the most.

What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done?

Fans often travel and take planes to come see us. I find that completely crazy! If I came from England, I would not go see a group play in New Jersey! But there are people who have already done that. Japanese who have come to see us in Australia, Brazilians who’ve gone to Italy.

Which artist would you fly to see?

I have to say that I am pretty lucky; I have already met the artists whom I love the most, notably Wyclef Jean in Germany, Bon Jovi in Japan, Björk in England. There are groups that we were lucky enough to meet, and others, whose shows we have seen as fans in the crowd. I’ve seen them in places that would be otherwise impossible! In fact, these encounters all came about while we were touring. Aside from that, I don’t know if I would travel at this point. Meeting our idols can sometimes take away from their magic.

When meeting your idols, did you realize that artists were more human, just like everyone else?

That’s funny. There are lots of people whom I’m never going to meet, because I like their image. I want to see their shows as a fan of their music, and I like the fact that it won’t be going any further than that. But there are punk rock groups who have been our idols over the past years, friends that we’ve had the chance to meet, who are more down-to-earth. I’m thinking of Joey Cape, the singer from Lagwagon. I was really excited to meet him on the world tour. The guys from Rancid as well are super nice and down-to-earth. They’ve even performed with Simple Plan shirts on stage! These are really good people

Radio show on tonight!

Pat and i got together and created something wonderful for you.

Live at 8PM EST on idobi radio.

-seb

xxxx

hi!

Hey! haven't posted a blog in so long! sorry about that! hope all of you are doing good.

we've been playing lots of shows this summer and writing a new album! everybody in the band is doing great and we're looking forward to seeing you guys at the shows.

in the meantime you should follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/officialSPChuck

Seb is also on as well as an official SP twitter page. check them out in my followers.

miss you guys! talk soon.

chuck.