The last time I interviewed Chad Kroeger’s brother was during last year’s victorious British tour. The fame at that time had failed to hit home with the band coming to terms with the idea that Nickelback were a household name across continents and not simply in their native Canada. There was a workmanlike, almost bored fish out of water approach to touring. I spoke to Mike Kroeger again immediately prior to the first British concert for almost a year to see what’s changed ... if anything.

Mike Kroeger is in a calm reflective mood as he settles back in the sumptuous leather that has been afforded to us by Brixton Academy. Wearing a thick roll neck sweater to combat the sub zero temperatures in London, he welcomes me like an old friend. "Hi there Mike, how you doing?" he hollers. "You’d think I’d be used to this coming from Canada, but I’m not. Cold is cold wherever you are. In Britain they don’t seem to believe in heat. In Milan this tour, the venue wanted three hundred euros an hour to put the heat on."

The first night of the European tour began in Milan, the love affair with Europe starting all over again. This short tour, despite heavy rumour mongering, has not interrupted a US tour. "We did a short tour over in the States," explains Kroeger, "but it seems a bit slow out there at the moment for ticket sales. It’s tough, so you get on with it elsewhere. We like coming to Britain, they’re very enthusiastic, but then again they are all over the world - people are people. Put five thousand people in an arena that only holds four thousand, give them loud music then they generally do the same thing."

After spending most of 2002 and 2003 touring it was expected that a well overdue rest would ensue but due to commitments this was always doubtful. "It didn’t really materialise" he concedes disappointedly. "We had about 2 weeks, but then we started the new record, so we did recharge our batteries a little but not much, it was pretty much finish one thing and start another."

During our last meeting Mike had assured me that wholesale changes were unlikely for the new record. That said, ‘The Long Road’, although unmistakably Nickelback, has its differences in method over its predecessor, not least in the production. "We had a list of people we wanted involved with the record, but unfortunately we completely sabotaged it because we only gave them about five weeks notice. As it turns out most of these people are booked up months in advance. As the time got closer and closer, we kind of got in the situation where we had to do it ourselves."

The whole affair, unsurprisingly for a band with the know-how of Nickelback and the production credits of Chad Kroeger, became a self produced affair. "It just happened like that," the bassist says, "but we also had Joey Moi involved. He was like a sounding board and although he’s a producer in his own right what we needed him for was to settle arguments on what sounded good and what didn’t. He had the final word and gave his straight opinion. He’s well in demand. I don’t think he has stopped working for two years solid."

Randy Staub was retained to mix the album perhaps in the hope that ‘The Long Road’ held onto some of the successful traits that made ‘Silver Side Up’ a hit record. "Again, why change a winning way?" the bassist points out. "He really wanted to mix the record so it was natural to get Randy involved again, he knows how to make a great rock record. He takes a band that sound good already up to the next level and that’s want you want a mixer to do."

The bonus tracks on the limited edition album are produced by Rick Parasher and mixed by Randy Staub, a bit of a give away that these songs were those that didn’t quite make ‘Silver Side Up’. "These were B sides," he explains. "They didn’t make it onto the last album and it got a little confusing, wondering if they should appear on the new record if they weren’t good enough for the last one. It will probably mean nothing to those people that haven’t been with us for long, but for those fans that have been with us for a long time, we’re giving something back."

Nickelback clearly have their noses ahead of any contemporary rock rivals in terms of commercial success, but the modesty born out of their humble roots is refreshing to hear in this day and age. "Ego can always get in the way when you talk about a formula for success and what Nickelback have to offer that differentiates them from the mainstream. I could book my passage to an ego trip anytime if I wasn’t the type of person that I am. I mean, I could go on and on about how great we are, but really, all we want to do is bring over a great show that we would like to see and hear. What I can tell you is that we are going to spend every dime on the shows we do, everything we make goes back into the shows. That might not be astute business, but we feel that it’s an investment for the future. This time around the difference is that we are taking everything further and making it bigger, that means a bigger light show, more sound gear and better pyrotechnics."

The trend for 2003 is clearly showing with Nickelback joining the list of bands - The Darkness included - who believe that the old entertainment values of the 70’s and 80’s, such as putting on a memorable live show whilst touring an album, are the only way to get people out and away from their cosy little armchairs and daily dose of soap opera. "The following of bands like AC/DC and KISS is testament to what they put in," he theorises "and there’s no argument - we put the work in and tour a lot. Wherever people want to see us, that’s where we’ll play. It’s really in our blood because we had to work very hard to get where we are today. Sure, other bands work hard but don’t get the breaks that perhaps we had, but it’s very seldom that you get a break without putting in the work. Work ethic is a very important part of what we do. Work put in equals quality out."

Nickelback’s success has been built on the back of successful radio hit singles such as ‘How You Remind Me’ and more recently ‘Someday’, with the principle songwriter on the former being Chad Kroeger. The latter however breaks with tradition and allows other members of the band to gain writing credits. "It was due to a different set of circumstances," explains Mike. "Chad was working on lyrics by himself, and Ryan and I just decided to go and help. That help was accepted and we came up with some really good ideas. Usually the stuff is done before we hear it, that’s as far as the lyrical content is concerned. If it isn’t, then it usually gets done quickly. ‘Someday’ had the potential from early demos to be a single, therefore we wanted to treat it with a little more focus than perhaps some of the songs that you think may be album tracks…we micromanaged it a little bit more than normal. We thought that it would appeal more to a mass audience so we wanted to give it the best chance we could. The hardest thing is to not overdo it."

Mike Kroeger doesn’t think that this will lead to a new way of writing for Nickelback and although he doesn’t feel as comfortable with lyrics as a singer, he still has an ample appreciation of the content and subject matter. "‘Someday’ is really about anyone who has a job or lifestyle that takes them away from their family or loved ones and they find themselves saying someday we’ll get together and do all the things that normal people want to do. Although in the end, it never really happens. From a personal point of view, any promises are very hard to keep especially over the last seven years where there aren’t enough hours in the day and that someday never really happens."

The video, which surprisingly has only recently been added to MTV rotation, bizarrely comes at the song from an entirely different angle. "The video is one of those things that turned out a little different. We didn’t want it to be like all the other videos with like here is the band in a parking lot, here is the band performing in a living room. There’s no story, nothing ever happens. We wanted something with a story; after all we have done enough videos about nothing. We wanted to develop a theme in the video, whereby you think that you know what’s going on and then at the end you don’t. Right at the end all is revealed and then you think ‘Oh yeah, that’s it.’ We wanted that confusion, with people wanting to watch it again until they eventually realise that the male character is actually a dead spirit. That’s why when he runs after the car and she looks in the rear view mirror she can’t see him."

Traditionally the pop video has remained in the domain of the film director, with the sole responsibility of content and scripting lying squarely on his shoulders. On the video to ‘Someday’ the entire writing was done by the band themselves. The director Nigel Dick, who has worked with the band before, allowed the band free reign when it came to the storyline for the video. The video has many references to well known films such as Ghost, The Sixth Sense, and the abruptness of the crash scene was lifted from Final Destination.

‘Someday’, although not identical, follows the formula that made ‘How You Remind Me’ such a huge hit and without doubt, in the future there will be immense pressure - internally and from the record company - on the band to come up with the "big hit". "I’d be a liar if I said we weren’t under pressure to come up with a hit," Kroeger intimates. "You’ll always have that, but I wouldn’t say that we’re under pressure from the record company. They’re smarter than that, they understand that artists don’t work well under pressure. Threatening them to get better performance doesn’t work"

Although the record company pressure is not an issue, the band is aware that on a ten-song album there has to be at least one hit. "We don’t come up with a album of thirteen songs and then think ‘Oh shit, none of them sound like How You Remind Me’. We do them and then think ‘Mmmm, that could be a single.’ The process unwinds and it becomes apparent which songs could be singles."

The similarity of the singles that the band have released and the characteristic sound that they have honed have caused some factions to describe Nickelback as a one trick pony, an accusation that Kroeger whole heartedly refutes. "There’s a difference between information and knowledge," he states. "That is to say that as some people are aware, we can only do that. But they’re talking off the top of their head, because they haven’t heard the rest of the album or other stuff and all they’ve heard is the singles. If they had heard some of the other stuff like ‘Woke Up This Morning’ and ‘Because of You’ they would know that we are more than a one trick pony. It’s just a crock of shit to say that really, when you take the whole body of work. We pride ourselves on touching on different styles of rock. If you are a rock band in our position then you line yourself up to be criticised, I tend not to pay much attention to good stuff said about us, or bad stuff said about us after all it’s opinion and nothing should be taken as gospel."

‘Silver Side Up’ was a huge album, clocking up multi-platinum sales world-wide. The hope is that ‘The Long Road’ will be as successful if not more successful than its predecessor, no mean feat in the fickle world of music. "You can’t go into it with the kind of ‘make it bigger’ mindset, otherwise it’s doomed to fail. ‘Silver…’ was the right album and the right single at the right time. Timing is ninety five percent of this business, you can’t worry about if it’s a better or worse time to release an album, and you just have to do what you do, you can’t control it. If what you do falls out of favour with the music populous then you just have to accept it. Disco was great once, but now it isn’t, but it might be again one day, you just have to be graceful and accept everything is cyclical."

Of course, as Mike Kroeger points out, the loss of popularity of a band can be accepted bravely. But the truly successful bands such as U2 have adapted to increase their longevity. "There’s bound to be some kind of influence exerted on you by what’s going on at the time and I guess that when all the boy bands were making it, we had an option to drop the guitars and learn how to dance. But we didn’t do it then, so I can’t see us doing a 180-degree turn and doing something that just isn’t us. You can never rule it out though I guess, but I reckon what you hear now is very close to what you hear from us in the future."

Despite their success and Chad Kroeger aside the members of the band retain a certain amount of anonymity. As a rule - and history bears this out - egos need massaging and jealousy can rear its ugly head when factions of the band have more of a media profile than others. Kroeger remains level headed and optimistic on this issue. "If anyone in a band is unhappy with the situation, they need to identify their position on the team. For instance, are you the bass player….yes! How many bands are there where only the bass player sings? I guess what I am trying to say is that it is ridiculous for the bass player or drummer, or even guitarist to expect to receive the same kind of accolades as the singer and get upset by it. My advice is if you don’t like it get out, and why did you bother playing what you did in the first place, you should have been a singer if you wanted it that bad. For God’s sake, the singer is the one who verbally communicates with the people and so he’s naturally going to have a closer connection with them than, say, the guy who plays the drums. People understand words better than bass lines or drum rolls and as a result singers get more famous than other musicians. As a band member you prepare yourself for taking a backseat or driving and you then have to fit in having decided where your place is."

This stability of egos within Nickelback has kept the band going through thick and thin, the balance aiding their elevation to their position today. At some point the band environment can suffocate the artistic licence of the individuals that make it a success and as a result solo careers become a welcome aside. "I like playing other styles of music," says Mike, "and I am getting a pretty healthy dose of rock in this band, so I can’t see me wanting to play in another rock band. What we are doing at the moment is pretty good for me, but I think everyone is interested in exploring other styles; Ryan Peake really likes country and western whilst Ryan Vikedal really likes Jazz music. Personally I like very heavy metal but also Jazz and classical, so it seems ridiculous to not eventually explore those areas. When you get older you don’t want to still be playing music for a younger generation. Some can do it but I can’t see us doing it. Sooner or later the curtain will close for the last time and that’s perhaps when you start looking at options and decisions, looking at doing music that befits your station in life."

Nickelback have always had a reputation as being a clean cut band, and although their stage show harks back to a golden age of excess, behind the scenes the assumption is that the true hedonistic excesses have been replaced by a single-minded, some would say dull professionalism. "Twenty Five years ago the only people paying attention to money matters were the managers," Kroeger says. "The band were of the idea that all they needed was a bottle of Jack Daniels a bucket full of coke and a handful of chicks. I could do all of that, without a doubt. On the road I could get anything I wanted: the uppers to lift me and the downers to settle me down…whatever I want! But all I want to do is play. I think people have got smarter. The world is full of those who have done this and walked away empty handed. Bands that have been paid for selling millions of records have ended up with nothing."

Although the stereotypic rock and roll lifestyle creates headlines, bands have woken up to the fact that the excesses flouted by the likes of Motley Crue et al have their downside. "Everyone knows that Coke gets you high, booze gets you drunk and chicks get you laid…there’s no secret to it. What they didn’t realise then is that coke makes you poor and makes you lose weight, booze can kill you as well as making you do dumb things and chicks can give you disease. This changed when the world was made aware that you should be careful where you have your penis go. The A.I.D.S thing kicked off and everyone suddenly had the thought "Yeah, we are mortal aren’t we?!" You can’t go living life like there are no consequences because there clearly are. People die from all these things! When we were contemplating whether to do this our idols were dying before our eyes. Others are now on the comeback trail hoping to make the money that they didn’t get first time around without offering anything new. Some ex rock stars have been known to sell their gold and platinum albums in pawn shops."

Clearly Nickelback have a long way to go before Mike Kroeger finally hangs up his Cowboy hat, although he informs me that he already has, confused? He explains; "I used to wear my Cowboy hat everywhere, onstage as well as off. At that time I lived on a ranch with horses and it had a practicality to it in the summers in Canada, which get pretty hot. It would protect me from the sun whilst I was putting up fences or working with the horses and I eventually liked wearing it all the time. When things took off I could no longer do stuff on the ranch so we sold it. I mean, putting it into perspective, a year ago I was driving a four by four pick-up, wearing a cowboy hat and looking after horses. Now I live in the suburbs in a place with a swimming pool and I drive a Jaguar. Could you really see that guy wearing a cowboy hat? It just had no relevance. I don’t wear it on stage for that reason. My life has changed. I have also ditched the cowboy boots."

Rumours have been rife after several shows that Nickelback had dispensed with the services of Mike Kroeger and replaced him with a short guy on bass. A rumour strongly denied by Kroeger. "Well he still sounds the same," he says humorously "but that part of my life has gone now. When we went on stage I used to wear the hat to conceal myself, I didn’t want anyone to see my face. Even on the videos I would bend my head forward to hide my face. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my face, I just didn’t want anyone to know who I was. Everyone knew my brother but not me and that’s the way I like it. I enjoy the anonymity whereby I can take my kids out without it turning into a Michael Jackson situation. I’ve been to a lot of places with my brother and it really is hard. The worst is the movies … well it was but I can’t go with him anymore. We would be watching a film and the kids outside and the popcorn sellers would just file in and ask for autographs. It was a pest but you had to understand why… people love what you do! You have to put it into perspective. At one time you would lay down your life to get the attention, you can’t have it both ways. If you didn’t want to be famous you shouldn’t have done what you did."

The Darkness played the academy the previous night and Kroeger wishes he could have seen them. "I don’t know that much about these guys but what I have heard is cool," he enthuses. "I wanted to see them play last night but my jet lag prevented it. I know what they’re doing though, they’re bringing back the show to rock shows, the whole lot: pyro, confetti canons … it’s just awesome."

Nickelback may lack the over the top excess of a band like The Darkness, but as crowd pleasers they follow the same work ethic, believing that you only get out what you put in. Their return for large arena concerts in 2004 provides all the proof you could possibly need.