ADAM GONTIER On THREE DAYS GRACE's Two-Singer Arrangement: 'The Fans Deserved To See Something Like This'

In a new interview with Estonia's AlteRock, THREE DAYS GRACE singers Adam Gontier and Matt Walst spoke about the band's ongoing tour in support of its latest album, "Alienation", which arrived in August via RCA Records. For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam is back, joining Matt on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars). Asked if "there was a little bit of a destiny" in how his return came to be, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think so. I think things probably happened for a reason, for the most part. Yeah, that was a long time ago. Lots of things have changed, I guess, over the last 10 years or so. And I think we're kind of better than ever at the moment."

Regarding whether they were "a little bit anxious" about the possibility of there being "some competition" at THREE DAYS GRACE shows, like the fans being divided into Team Matt and Team Adam, Adam: "No, not at all. We did this mainly for the fans. Obviously, we're doing it 'cause we're having fun doing it, but the whole idea was just to — we felt like the fans kind of deserved to see something like this. And so, yeah, there's never any kind of competition or anything like that."

Added Matt: "We play as a team. We're big sports fans, and, yeah, we just put the best team together and we're all on the same team with the same goal — to win."

When the interviewer noted that some THREE DAYS GRACE fans feel Matt was "the savior of the band" when he stepped in following Adam's departure in 2013, Walst said: "I don't know about the savior, but, yeah, it was a life-changing event. And, yeah, here we are now, better than ever, and it's more fun than ever."

Adam chimed in: "I think also just to add to that, if anybody else had to come in, when I did leave the band, if it had it been anybody else that came in, we wouldn't be doing this now, because we grew up as friends and stuff together in a pretty small town. So, yeah, you're absolutely right — if it wasn't for Matt, none of this would be happening. So, yeah, it's pretty amazing."

2025 has been a big year for THREE DAYS GRACE with the release of "Alienation", with No. 1 songs "Mayday" and "Apologies" along with sold-out shows in Canada (co-headline with VOLBEAT) and the U.S. (co-headline with BREAKING BENJAMIN) and an ongoing sold-out European tour (with BADFLOWER).

Last month, THREE DAYS GRACE announced the 2026 "Alienation" tour, kicking off in Fort Wayne, Indiana in February, before hitting Canada and Europe and wrapping up the tour in November for the final show in Los Angeles, California. The U.S. tour dates will receive support from I PREVAIL and THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT, and Canada will see support from FINGER ELEVEN and ROYAL TUSK on select dates.

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was asked how it feels to be back in THREE DAYS GRACE after such a long absence. He responded: "Well, I think more excitement than anything, man. 'Cause it's just been so long. And it just felt like the right time — it felt like the right time for everybody. So, yeah, just excitement and kind of ready to go."

He continued: "It took a little while to connect with the guys and do a couple shows together, a couple things, but, yeah — just more excitement than anything, and definitely some nostalgia, obviously. But, yeah, I think everybody's really, really excited about this next chapter. It's gonna be quite the year, I think."

Regarding the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE's new lineup, Adam said: "Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about that. We got sort of — not lucky, but our voices do blend really well together. And we've noticed it obviously way more now with making the record and recording and all this stuff that, yeah, our voices really blend well. Yeah, so we're fortunate for that, that it's working out the way we had hoped."

Gontier added: "It's been great, man. It's cool. Matt grew up with the band. He's Brad's little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a little guy. So I think for them it was a natural fit to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we're just, like] — let's do it together."

In a December 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie,
Matt talked about how the idea for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE came about. He said: "I think one day I just talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, 'It'd be sick if Adam came back. And we could both sing, and I can sing the songs of the past 10 years and Adam can even sing a few of those too.' And yeah, it just seems like a new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it exciting, like the early days or just to freshen it up and, yeah, make it exciting."

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Neil stated about Adam's return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "We had been talking and we've kept in touch. And the band was just talking about, like, how great would this be for us and for the fans and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. And then he got up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], and then we just thought, 'Let's make something new. Let's sit down and write a song.' And once we kind of got into that songwriting process, it just felt really natural and it felt right. And I think for the fans, we're giving them something that we haven't done before and hasn't really been done much in the past."

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).