Plain White T'sAfter releasing a different type of sound in their latest album “Big Bad World,” the Plain White T’s wanted to search for a different type of style to promote it on tour.

So the Chicago based band strapped on the creative noggin and finally arrived at an original and dynamic idea to turn heads and raise eyebrows.

A three part harmony.

“We realized that we have different types of fans out there,” explains guitarist Dave Tirio about the band’s latest tour- “Three Part Harmony: A Show In Three Acts.”

“So we decided to break the performance up into three sections. The first part is going to be us rocking out on stage like we would normally do. But then in the second part we’re going to switch it up and play an acoustic set and perform everything stripped – which will include a harmonica and an accordion. And then for the third part we’re gonna be doing something really special: a medley of a bunch of fan-favorite songs, all carefully blended into one song.”

The third act- the kicker of the whole performance- is hoped to attract the attention of fans.

“I think it’s gonna be awesome,” adds Tirio excitedly with wide-eyes. “I’ve seen sometimes bands play a song and then go right into another song without stopping, but I’ve never heard of anyone taking many songs and transitioning them altogether, so that it becomes one giant tune.”

Unlike past work in the studio, the band’s current album experienced an old-school approach- an idea that some might call a leap of faith.

No digital “bells and whistles.” No computerized editing. Only old fashioned methods. Instruments and equipment made before 1970- vintage guitars, old Vox amps, Leslie speakers, a Ludwig drum set circa 1966- and virtually no click track. It’s something that the band is fond of.

“I love it because when you listen to old records, like the Beatles and other bands from that time period, you can really actually feel the song,” Tirio tells andPOP. “Because it’s live, if you make a mistake in the background, you hear it, but that kind of adds to the authenticity of the music.”

“Our main goal was just do get back to our roots,” adds lead vocalist Tom Higgenson. “We wanted to get back to the days of the small indie rock group, and do it in a classic way. It’s not sugar coated like other songs, and I think fans will really like it.”

Whereas their last album had the band pushing towards little practice time, and creating most of their songs while on-the-go in the studio, this time around, the guys decided to approach it differently.

“We actually spent the majority of the time in pre-production, just practicing our set over and over, ” recalls Higgenson. “And I guess because we practiced it for so long, it tightened up, and when we finally recorded it, we we’re able to perform it really well live while in the studio. We didn’t even need the click track.”

It’s definitely hard trying to beat “Hey There Delilah”- the band’s 2007 golden ticket, which topped music charts across the globe- but leading the current album is “1,2,3,4,” which sits comfortably at No. 15 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. When asked about the process behind creating a hit song, Tirio says that it hardly ever goes as planned.

“We never really know what will do well,” explains Tirio. “I mean when we wrote ‘Delilah,’ we never would have known that it was gonna be such a massive hit. And the same thing for this album; we actually originally thought that ‘Serious Mistake’ was gonna be the big seller, but it ended up being ‘1,2,3,4’ so I guess it always depends on the public and our fans.”

The “Three Part Harmony” tour, which started March. 12 in Cleavland, includes five pit stops in Canada (Toronto: March. 13, Winnipeg: March. 19, Calgary: March. 21, Edmonton: March. 22 and Vancouver: March. 24) before then winding down in St. Paul on May 9.

And then depending on the reception of the show, the five man group might also consider trekking to the U.K over the summer. But having gotten a relaxing breather over the last six months since their album’s release in September, the band is prepped to hit the road.

“We’ve just been chilling out back home,” says Tirio. “Spending time with family and friends; it’s amazing to have a home cooked meal. But now we’ve got to make up for the break, and get back on tour.”

“The only problem is that now I have to get used to sleeping on the tour bus again,” jokes Higgenson. “Still having a bit of trouble; it’s been so long since we’ve done that.”

Higgenson continues on, saying that this tour will be a bit more different than past experiences.

“I feel that this time we got to do the music that we really wanted to create- getting back to our roots as the indie rock band. And I think that maybe we’ll have a bit more fun promoting this record on tour; playing the type of music that really represents us.”

Over 40 shows. Over 20 states. And two countries. It’s mind-boggling to even think about how someone stays sane through the entire trip.

“It can be overwhelming sometimes,” admits Higgenson. “But hitting up all these interesting and exciting cities is what keeps it fresh. And sometimes it’s also the small places where you don’t really expect there to be a large fan-base, but you arrive there surprised to find a supporting crowd of screaming fans. It’s the little moments like that which make it great.”






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