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By Paul Freeman
Times Correspondent
www.contracostatimes.com
Several years after tragedy cut short the success of their band Blind Melon, guitarist Christopher Thorn and bassist Brad Smith have reunited to assemble a new group, Unified Theory.
Thorn first needed to recover from the death of Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon, who died of a cocaine overdose in October 1995. Thorn spent a couple of years focusing on producing at his Seattle studio: "If I had jumped right back into something, I would have snapped at some point. With the loss of such a great friend and all the experiences I'd had, I needed some downtime, time to recoup and think about everything.
"We had lost a huge part of our lives. It took quite a while before I was ready to dig back in again."
In addition to healing emotional wounds, Thorn had to worry about finding the right vocalist for the new band. Finally, he discovered an EP by a group called Celia Green. It featured North Carolina guitarist-singer Chris Shinn. "I had listened to thousands of singers," Thorn says. "When I heard Chris' voice, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I was completely floored. it sounded angelic to me, like the prettiest, purest tone. He floats."
For drumming, Thorn turned to old friend Dave Krusen, one of Pearl Jam's founding members. The foursome clicked immediately. "Chemistry is everything," Thorn says. "You can't bottle chemistry. If you could, you could sell it and make a lot more money doing that than being in the music business."
The band's name comes from the last physics theory worked on by Einstein: "The word 'unified' seemed to have a wonderful sentiment to it -- people coming together to see a show is a very unifying experience."
They sought their own sound. "Brad and I didn't want to make Blind Melon records again," Thorn says. "We really wanted to push ourselves forward in a different direction."
They decided to complete their album before shopping it to labels. "We wanted to isolate ourselves," Thorn explains. "Once you get signed, you feel pressure. We just felt like we didn't want to discuss our record with an A&R guy until it was finished. We had a clear vision of what we wanted, both sonically and in terms of songwriting."
Unified Theory spent a year recording in Seattle. "It had the advantage of marinating for a long time. Because of that luxury, it was the best recording experience I've ever had," Thorn says.
They emerged with a sound that's sweeping, dramatic and ethereal. "We didn't want to be a straight-up roots rock band. We wanted to use technology. There are samples on some of the songs. We wanted to use everything available to us. But you could strip everything away and, at the core, we're still a rock band."
Thorn is proud of the self-titled debut album, to be released on 3:33 Music in August. "We wanted to make a 'record' record, one where you put on headphones and listen to the whole thing. That's a lot to ask of people today because they've got the computer and the Nintendo and the TV with 9,000 channels. There's definitely a lot of competition. But for the people who actually do want to take the time, we've made a sit-back-and-listen-to-the-whole-thing record."
Now based in L.A., Unified Theory hopes to build a fan base through live performances, including one at Bottom of the Hill on Sunday. "I'd love to have that dedicated audience that comes to see more than one show, that travels with you a bit. We've been hearing that live, (our) songs sound even better than the record, which is the best compliment someone can say to you."
Thorn knows that his history might make people curious enough to listen to Unified Theory, but they won't keep listening unless the band delivers. "I love the Stones. But I don't love Mick Jagger's solo records. Nobody does. So you can't just assume people will love what you're doing now because they loved what you did before. That's fine. We want to tell all the people who were fans, 'Hey, we have something new. Check it out. If you're not into it, that's cool. We'll find new fans. But if you are, come along for the new ride.'"
In launching Unified Theory, Thorn can draw on lessons learned from Blind Melon. "Obviously, drugs never really pull a band together," he says with a sad chuckle. "That doesn't help. It's important to keep your head on. You go a little crazy. ... You have to actually work at not letting that happen. It all sounds like fun, and it is. But you put 12 people on a tour bus for a couple of years and you go a little bonkers. If you realize that and take a deep breath, you're better off. I'm going to be conscious of that this time around."
Thorn has tried to come out of his mourning with a positive perspective. "I'm thankful for the time I had with the guy. The period of being sort of angry that he's gone has disappeared. All the bad, evil stuff has worked its way away. Now I have nothing but wonderful, funny memories, because Shannon was just nuts -- in a great way."
"I now have a whole new appreciation for what I do," Thorn adds. "Unfortunately, you take things for granted -- being in a band, selling records, playing to thousands of people. Then one day, someone goes, 'Guess what? It's over. You're done.' I'm so thankful every day to be in a band with my best friends, making music that I love."