Pop Goes Marvies' World

March 5, 1999
Dave Veitch
Calgary Sun

Butch Walker would like to point out he and bandmates are neither angry nor angst-ridden.

"We grew up having a good time with life and a good time playing music over the years," says the singer-guitarist for Atlanta power-pop trio Marvelous 3, who open for Collective Soul Monday at the Jack Singer.

"We wanted this album and this band to reflect that whole lifestyle."

He's referring to Hey! Album, the Marvies' recently released major-label debut. It's a hook-filled, good-natured work that delivers its infectious pop melodies with a wink, a smile and just enough crunchy guitars to warrant comparisons to Cheap Trick.

"We're a radio-rock band and we're proud of it," he says.

Walker has been performing variations of this style for the past 10 years, including during the grunge explosion when melodic, feel-good pop was decidedly out-of-step with the times.

"People went, 'What are these guys trying to do? They're not whining. They're not complaining,' " he says.

"But we wanted to bring back some of the elements that a lot of the kids who listen to music today missed out on -- like a show, an image."

The amiable, much-tattooed Walker seems like an old-fashioned pop star. He dons eyeliner and black nail-polish for glamour, and hopes Hey! Album will sell by the truckload.

The band's single, Freak of the Week, pokes sly fun at rock stars who equate success with selling out.

"There's nothing wrong with admitting to the fact you get into this to succeed at it," Walker says.

"We spent 10 years being perfectly flat broke and still playing for the love of music. Not only do we deserve (success), we have open arms to it."