On the song selection process for his You Should Be Happy EP, he said, “It was kind of quick. I had some ideas I was working on, so rather than putting them on the shelf, I decided to put these songs out. I was feeling them and I thought they were cool, and they were a good epilogue to the Boxes album, so it just felt right. We got together with the producer, went in the studio and we banged them out. I was pretty happy with it.”
Rzeznik listed “Used Me” as his personal favorite song on the EP. “It’s interesting to me. There are a couple of tracks on Boxes, and that song is more vibey. It is something that I haven’t really done before. I just enjoy the vibe of it. I just love playing around in the studio,” he said.
This past November, the Goo Goo Dolls played at the Beacon Theatre in the heart of New York City. “That was amazing. I love to play there,” he admitted.
On August 13, they will be performing at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, where they will be sharing the stage with singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips. “Jones Beach is always the spot on the tour that is my favorite spot. It’s always a great time. That’s one of the highlights of the tour,” Rzeznik said. “The whole area around New York is great, since people always come out and see the shows. We have really great nights in those places.”
Each day, he is motivated by fear. “I’m kidding but I’m not. I’m still looking for that one piece of music that just connects. I still believe that I have something inside me that can connect with people, and I chase that,” he said.
When asked to reflect on the last three decades, he said, “I see a lot of mistakes that actually turned into a pretty good life.”
Regarding the key to longevity in the music industry, he said, “You have to know your audience, embrace them and stay in touch with them as much as possible.” “I’m grateful that people come and see us play. I love them,” he said. “They are the reason that we have a career, so it’s nice to go out and see them.”
On his future plans, the Buffalo-born rocker said, “I plan on getting through this tour, and spending as much time as I can with my wife and daughter, Liliana. Hopefully, a lot more music, and a few more years to do this.”
Rzeznik listed Halsey and Sydney Sierota from Echosmith as his dream female duet choices. “Halsey has such a great voice, and I got to record a duet with Sydney from Echosmith and that was a great song that we did,” he said.
For aspiring bands, he encouraged them to have a hard work ethic. “Work as hard as you can. Don’t expect to get rich. Fuck fame cause it’s not that important, and just be honest and accept what you are given, and be grateful,” he said.
Aside from his musical endeavors, he also serves as a radio personality on SiriusXM. “Once a month, I have a radio show on SiriusXM’s Volume channel, it’s called ‘Chorus and Verse,’ and I interview songwriters, where we talk about songwriting. We geek out on songwriting,” he said.
The Goo Goo Dolls front-man defined the word success as follows: “Knowing that I’ve got enough, and not feeling like I got to get more.” “Being comfortable in my own skin and just having people around me that really care about me. Having family and some friends, that’s a good deal,” he said.
To learn more about the Goo Goo Dolls, their new music and their touring schedule, check out their official website.
