Who gets custody of the band when the original singer departs and the band carries on? Is it the singer, whose voice is behind the emotion and connection of every song in the catalog? Or is it the rest of the guys, who recruited a new singer and played an equal part in crafting the sound but aren’t the face of the band?
It’s a tough question and can boil quite a bit of bad blood. Unless, you figure it out and conquer the rock world like “Three Days Grace” did. They made room for both beloved singers and took a highly successful radio band to another level.
I haven’t seen two lead singers together since the “Sam and Dave” 2002 romp with both Van Halen singers (Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth). That didn’t count though because they weren’t singing together and reportedly couldn’t stand each other.
But the highly successful late 2024 return of Three Days Grace’s original vocalist Adam Gontier was not only unique, but authentic. Adam came back to the band, but did not replace the band’s current singer Matt Walst. Both singers were responsible for the bands twenty #1 songs on the rock radio charts, concert success and loyal fan following.
Adam rejoined 3DG in 2024 after an eleven year absence. With two vocalists in place, they enjoyed their most successful year to date, headlining shows, festivals and releasing the smash album “Alienation”. More importantly, a spirit of brotherhood and family was created. Not just for the band, but for the fans too. Connection and Community in rock and roll is what it’s all about.
I saw 3DG twice on this tour with duel vocalists. To call it an “event” would be an understatement.
But why is this not the case for more bands in rock music, when clearly it works?
I recently spoke with two “Original Vocalists” and crafters of the active rock sound of the late 90’s and 2000’s on my Carr Stereo Podcast about “band custody”. One is a bit closer to a “merger” and the other is far apart.
First up is Jared Weeks, the original voice of Saving Abel. He’s the man behind the band’s biggest hits “Drowning” (Face Down), “Addicted” and “The Sex Is Good” (all top 5 charting rock tracks).
Jared fronted Saving Abel from the beginning with stints in and out of the band (2004–2013, 2021–2025). He’s recently taken to social media to create a motivating and positive platform. I wasn’t really that surprised when he teamed up with Saving Abel forever vocalist Scotty Austin (who fronted Saving Abel from 2013 to 2021) for a mending of the fences and teaming up for 2026 shows billed as the “One Time At Band Camp Bash” with select dates. When I spoke with Jared in late 2025 he told me this about mending fences:
Jared Weeks of Saving Abel on Mending Fences
JW: “I looked at all the things that I was guilty of, ashamed of, afraid of, and I sat down with those things. Time after time, I healed with them. I slowly started seeing my life and that hole being filled with peace. I started loving myself more, which in return, started setting up more boundaries. In return, it helped me decide who to surround myself with.
So, making a full circle back to the point, you can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you, you know? So that’s kind of how I took it. It is such a great mantra for people to empower themselves. You empowered yourself. I think in life these days, that’s all we have.”
That was great advice by Jared. As we head into the unknown of 2026, Jared and Scotty are posting together on social media, and the fans love it!
The situation for 90’s-2000’s rock radio hit makers SALIVA has been quite different though.
I spoke with original vocalist and Saliva founder Josey Scott a few weeks ago. He started the Grammy nominated band in 1996. Josey has suffered through the loss of his son in 2021. He also lost his friend and Saliva’s co-founder Wayne Swinny in 2023 due to a brain hemorrhage.
Saliva had massive radio success with the songs “Click Click Boom”, “Your Disease”, “Rest In Pieces”, “Ladies and Gentleman”, and “Always”. Josey will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Saliva’s highly successful album “Every Six Seconds” by hitting the road to perform the album. However, the “new” Saliva is pissed. The two camps have been in a war of words.
Josey Scott, Saliva Founder
TC: You guys were supposed to reunite but the waters got muddied.
JS: To have those waters muddied by somebody who wasn’t even in the picture in the beginning, who was a child — this guy was a child when we were releasing ‘Click Click Boom’. This guy was a kid. He was still trying to kiss a girl and go on a date. He was 15, 16 years old. So to have those waters muddied by that person, it’s just heartbreaking.
TC: But you will be going out and performing Saliva tunes and your new solo stuff. That’s exciting.
JS: Terrie, songwriting has never been a choice for me. It’s just the radio in my brain that comes on and the ideas come out. If I don’t have a pen and a piece of paper, or nowadays my phone to record these ideas, they will go away.
I think Edgar Allan Poe said one time, the greatest poetry he ever wrote, he forgot because he didn’t have a writing implement. So I’ve learned to sort of respect that conduit or that antenna that’s up towards the universe when those ideas come in. I quickly at least jot down a sketch of what I’m hearing in my head, and I’ll sing it into my phone just like I did “Click, Click, Boom” back in the day with my big red brick phone I had at the time.
I’m excited to celebrate the catalog and play new songs live. We’re just going to tour, tour, tour. I love it. We’re going to celebrate the anniversary of Every Six Seconds by playing every song on the album and along with some new stuff for the fans.
So who gets actual band custody? Clearly, every band is different.
Hats off to Three Days Grace for showing us the gold star standard on how to do it. I’m hoping for the opportunity to see Jared and Scotty together banging out Saving Abel tunes soon. I’d love to see Josey perform “Every Six Seconds” top to bottom in the new year as well.
Take me back boys…take me back!
My Interviews with both Jared Weeks and Josey Scott are on my YouTube Channel and all podcasting platforms at TerrieCarr.com.
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