Multiplatinum rock group Hinder plays Monday in Fargo

Ryan Johnson
Grand Forks Herald

Rock band Hinder has sold millions of albums with its two releases, seen its breakthrough song covered by a number of musicians and even had the chance to record a classic rock track for a TV promo.

Guitarist Mark King said the band’s escalating fame since 2005 is still pretty surreal at times, but it’s what the group always wanted.

“That’s what every band dreams for is to sell millions of records and headline arenas,” King said. “It’s pretty crazy for us five boys from Oklahoma.”

Hinder will be at the Venue in Fargo on Monday along with Theory of a Deadman and Blackstone Cherry. Tickets are $31 the day of the show at the door, or can be purchased for $29.50 at www.tickets.com.

King joined Hinder in 2004, and said the Oklahoma City music scene wasn’t the best for a band like Hinder.

“There’s, like, a bunch of emo bands around there,” he said. “We were the band that everybody hated there. It’s definitely not a glamorous spot for music by any means.”

Having fun

King said the band has always written what its members know. He described Hinder’s sound as somewhat of a throwback to the 1980s rock mentality — having a good time and enjoying a partying lifestyle.

When he first joined, the band had realized that late 1990s and early 2000s musical trends were “just depressing,” he said. Band members decided they could break out of the mold.

“Not everyone’s pissed off with their parents and their upbringing,” he said. “We just write what we know basically; it’s pretty simple like that.”

King said the best explanation he’s heard about this was from Will Smith, who once described albums as a snapshot of where an artist was in his life.

Hinder was signed to a contract with Universal Records shortly after he joined the band, and the first single off its 2005 debut album, “Extreme Behavior,” put the group on the map in the modern rock scene.

They have received mixed reviews since becoming a nationally-known rock group, but he said their success and what they’ve been able to do in recent years has taken the bite out of harsh critics.

“Honestly, a bad review usually gives us a good laugh,” he said. “When you sell 3 million copies of your first album, it doesn’t sting so bad.”

One of King’s favorite disses was an iTunes review that poked fun at the name of Hinder’s second album, released in November 2008. “It just said, ‘Take it to the Limit’? More like take it to the trash can,” he said.

Widespread fame

In early 2006 Hinder released “Lips of an Angel,” a single that launched the band as a hit-making machine. The song became a breakthrough that charted in the Top 10 on several Billboard trade charts in the U.S. and reached the top chart position in several other countries.

“Lips of an Angel” describes the singer’s lingering feelings for an ex-girlfriend, even as his current significant other is in another room. The song quickly established Hinder and also spawned a number of cover versions in multiple genres. It even ended up on the kids-oriented album Kidz Bop in February 2007 after a couple changes to the lyrics.

King said it’s an honor to have a song performed by other artists.

“The song’s pretty good if someone wants to cover it,” he said.

The band has gotten lots of feedback about the lyrics and message of the song, he said. It goes over well with crowds at live shows. One of the strangest things he has heard — and more than once — is that the song has been performed at weddings.

“I don’t really know how to play that one off yet,” he said.

The track almost didn’t even make it onto their debut album. Someone from their label listened to the demo and told the band that it’s a “pretty good song, but probably a b-side.”

“After he left the room, we just looked at each other and said, ‘Hey, he’s an idiot,’” he said. “It’s going on the album.”

After “Lips of an Angel” and other hits, Hinder has toured with many of its idols. King said it’s still a little weird that musicians he used to listen to are now his friends. He considers the opportunity a blessing, he said.

He hopes to eventually meet Ben Folds, the musician who got him interested in the piano.

The band was tapped to record a cover version of classic rock track “Born to Be Wild” for a NASCAR on TNT promotion. King said there was some apprehension about it, but they gave it a shot and liked the end result.

“We played it one time through and we’re like, OK, we can put our stamp on it,” he said. “We’re happy with what came out.”

Hinder’s second album, released in November, debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than 80,000 copies in its first week alone. The band will tour with Nickelback this summer and continues to live its rocking dream in shows across the world.