AAM: Is it true that the name "Buckcherry" it is a play on words regarding Chuck Berry?
Josh Todd: It is! Our band was called "Sparrow" when we first started but there was a conflict with a Christian label "Sparrow Records". We began tossing around other names but couldn't agree on anything. Keith [Nelson], our guitar player, was reading this book on Chuck Berry and record labels turning your name inside out, like Chuck Berry to Buckcherry and everybody "lit up" (no pun intended) when he said that. We just went with it!
AAM: Buckcherry is nominated for the "Best Hard Rock Performance" Grammy, how do you feel about awards shows and will you be attending the Grammy's this year?
Josh Todd: It's funny because we were nominated for this same category on our first record, but we lost to Metallica. I'm so grateful for this second shot, because I know that not a lot of bands get a second shot; not a lot of bands get a first shot! Winning a Grammy is one of the milestones I want to accomplish.... a Grammy, a platinum record, and all the stuff you dream about. We can't wait to attend this years Grammy’s and yes, this time we want to win!
AAM: What sparked the reunion after the band broke up?
Josh Todd: The reunion really wasn't planned, but, I contacted Keith and we started talking and rekindled our friendship. Eventually the reunion came up in conversation and the timing was right. Now we actually have the line-up we've always wanted and we get along so well as a band. We've been out on the road for over a year, still love playing together and being together, which is the most important part.
AAM: Your breakthrough song was "Lit Up", in 1999. You hit pay dirt again with "Crazy Bitch". What is the difference between the two experiences?
Josh Todd: The timing is much better now for our band than it was when "Lit Up" came out and I'm actually really happy about getting over the "Lit Up" song. I didn't want to be thought of as just this "cocaine" band, because that's really not what we're about. That song was written about my first experience with cocaine when I was 16 and that was it. Everybody just assumed that I was engulfed in a mountain of blow everywhere I went and that just wasn't the case.
AAM: You took a chance with the lyrics in "Crazy Bitch" and it became a huge hit anyway.
Josh Todd: I just feel the best way to be successful is to really take risks. When I write lyrics I don't think about the results. I just 
write what I'm passionate about and don't hold anything back. We never really thought that "Crazy Bitch" was going to be a single; the fans really dictated that. It took off on it's own on satellite radio so we cleaned it up and let it run on free radio. It just took off...
AAM: You totally rocked the house during your 2-month residency at The Whiskey every Tuesday night a few months back. How'd you get that gig?
Josh Todd: We talked it over with our management company, 10th Street Entertainment, who has been extremely instrumental in our success. To support our first release, we held residency on the East Coast and it was really successful. This time around pounded the L.A. market. Our live show speaks for itself and we thought that's the best way to showcase us on the West Coast.
AAM: Just picking your brain here for a moment, at The Whiskey, while performing "Crazy Bitch" you went into "Fire" and "Stroke Me"; it was hilarious! Why those songs?
Josh Todd: It just seemed so appropriate, you know! (Laughs). We love Billy Squire and then to vamp up the Ohio Players - We just have so much fun with that song!
AAM: Whose idea was it to make the video for "next to you" a contest where fans submitted their own ideas?
Josh Todd: I believe that it was our manager, Katie McNeil's idea. From the very beginning of all this we have always tried to incorporate our fans into every step of the process. Since everybody submitted so many cool video ideas for "Crazy Bitch" we thought the contest was a great idea. We actually ran into the girls whose idea we used for "Next to You" on the road recently!
AAM: What is the difference between playing a daytime gig, like the one you did recently with Axl Rose and Papa Roach in Devore, versus nighttime show with you running around the stage so much and the lighting being so different?
Josh Todd: It's two different animals. I really enjoy the nighttime gigs because I just think it's more of a show. A lot of festivals have us going on at 3-4 in the afternoon so we just make a party out of it! Both situations are a lot of fun as long as there are people because we love hosting parties!
AAM: What dates do you have scheduled for So. Cal during your upcoming tour?
Josh Todd: We're at the Key Club in Hollywood on Dec. 29th and playing the Orange County Fairgrounds New Years Eve. Then, we're going out with "Three Days Grace" on the East Coast. We are also performing at the AVN Awards in Las Vegas.
AAM: What else can your fans look forward to as you support your current CD (15)?
Josh Todd: We're touring threw out 2007 to show the depth of this record as it is much deeper than just "Crazy Bitch". We are going to be releasing the single, "Everything" along with a great video for it. So keep a look out for that!
For more information on Buckcherry visit www.buckcherry.com and www.myspace.com/buckcherry
