The Herald Sun (July 25th 2002)
Now And Gwen
They're one big happy family band, No Doubt. They've even got a baby, writes Cameron Adams
Never let it be said No Doubt songs don't come with a happy ending.
The cryptically-titled Marry Me on their 2000 album Return of Saturn saw Gwen Stefani share with the world her feelings about boyfriend Gavin Rossdale, frontman of post-grunge rockers Bush.
And it didn't stop there: she sported a wedding dress in the Simple Kind of Life video, singing about wanting to become a wife and stating "You seem like you'd be a good dad."
Other lyrics (including the spiteful hit Ex-Girlfriend) detailed the up and downs of their relationship and how their global (him in London, her in LA) trans-band pairing would evolve.
Whatever Stefani did, it worked. Rossdale and Stefani were engaged earlier this year, with two secret weddings (one in London, one in LA) planned before Christmas.
"It's amazing how people see us," Stefani says. "I was surfing the Net last night like an idiot -- I read our chat rooms once in a while if I'm feeling up to it, because it can be brutal. There are 12-year-olds in there who are just plain mean!
"Anyway I just realised people's interpretations of us are amazing. It's incredible. We're just two people who met each other, fell in love, had our ups and downs and of course we've had a lot weirder lifestyle because we live in different countries, we're both in bands, we travel the world, people see us both in different ways than we see ourselves. But it's our life.
"I feel the love from people, that's for sure, we're definitely in a great place right now."
STEFANI is sharing the love on the next No Doubt single, Underneath it All. It's a love song to Rossdale, but one that also seemingly touches on his rumoured infidelities.
Some of the lyrics include: "You know some real bad tricks, and you need some discipline, but, lately you've been trying real hard, and giving me your best . . . You've used up all your coupons, and all you've got left is me, And somehow I'm full of forgiveness, I guess it's meant to be."
"Gavin was like, `Finally, a happy love song!'," Stefani says.
She remembers writing the lyrics in 10 minutes, with a hero from her youth, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, who was handling the music.
"It totally documents such an amazing time for me. Lyrically I'm in the best mood ever because I'm getting married and things in my life are so ridiculously, unbelievably great and I'm in such a good mood."
HER mood soured somewhat when pictures of her wedding shower surfaced on the Internet recently.
"Part of me was like, `F... off!," Stefani says. "There's a certain point where you just want it to be only yours and you don't want to share it, because we're humans and we're a little bit selfish.
"But on the other side, you just accept it and think, whatever. `Hey, look everyone, I got a waffle iron!'. That's the choice I made. I didn't think this would happen when we wrote Tragic Kingdom, no one was supposed to hear that s... All of a sudden, everyone knows who we are."
Tragic Kingdom in 1995 turned No Doubt from a skanky ska band from California into world superstars, with the ballad Don't Speak in particular serving as their global calling card.
They took a long time to work on a follow-up album. Previous albums were reissued, tours kept getting bigger and the stakes were raised.
When Return of Saturn arrived, it confused many and couldn't compete, sales wise, with its predecessor. "That record was the necessary step we had to go through," Stefani says.
"When you're in a band for this many years it's a journey, it's not about being on the top of the charts. When you're in a band for nine years before you even get on the radio, obviously it's not about being on top of the charts!
"Making Return to Saturn was just a huge challenge and hurdle. Once we got through it, we made a record we were so proud of. That was the start of Rock Steady.
"We had to go through that hard time to get to this, I personally had to, my personal life had to go through those growing pains to get where we are now. When we were in it, it was rough, but we love that record.
"People who've got that record love it, they feel what we went through, they definitely see that we grew on that record. There are some beautiful songs on there. No regrets, I only wish more people heard it with all the effort we put into it. "We say it doesn't matter what people say about us, but it doesn't matter if you win until you win. When you win, flip, it matters so much!
"It's like `Wow, you chose me!' and that's how it felt when you got good reviews. Return to Saturn got amazing acknowledgment critically. We definitely tried hard, that was the opposite of what we did on Rock Steady, we didn't try hard at all."
Rock Steady saw the band set themselves a deadline, and work at a leisurely pace until it was met. They recorded everywhere from London to Jamaica, with everyone from reggae producers Sly and Robbie to hip-hop producers the Neptunes and dance identity Nellee Hooper.
"Recording the album was wild," Stefani recalls. "There was so much freedom this time around. We sat down and went, `Anything goes, let's all experiment'. What's the point of being in a band if you don't write your own music? That's always been our attitude. But after 13 years together you have to bring some other different stuff and people in to make it exciting again.
"The boys didn't even play their own instruments on some of the songs, they switched. Nothing mattered, the only thing was making a record we loved and could dance to."
STEFANI is full of nothing but glee when discussing No Doubt circa 2002, a year in which they've regained their commercial appeal, are getting critical praise and making their most progressive music -- a pretty fine trifecta.
"My records seem to reflect my life during the time I'm making them. This one -- not only on the Gavin tip -- I was in a great mood and the band and I have had such a connection. It's so amazing to have not only made this record and be so proud of it, but to be in a band for so many years is incredible.
"How did that happen? How have we had that kind of commitment to each other? And we love each other still, it's wild! We love each other more than ever. (Drummer) Adrian's wife just had a baby, and he's out on tour with us, seven weeks old. It's another extension to our family.
"We're watching him grow each day; it sounds so lame, but there's such an amazing chemistry in the band.”
There's obvious chemistry between Stefani and Rossdale too. While they're yet to organise their wedding ("we're both on tour, can you imagine us putting anything together? It's a joke") there will be two nuptials.
"We're trying to keep it secret, but if my wedding shower pics got on the Internet it's not a good sign," Stefani says. "The head of my record label has offered to give us a reception as a gift -- he's really hooked up! I had to convince my mom to have two weddings -- it's kind of weird, but we're going to do a real private small wedding in London then we're doing a big bash reception in LA.
"It's going to be a long, drawn-out fun celebration and we're really excited about it."
Does Stefani have any advice for long-term relationships?
"I don't have advice for anyone on relationships: if you read any of my lyrics, you'll see that! I'm like everyone else, finding my way. For the long distance thing I'd say, don't do it. It's really hard.
"The only reason we've been successful is we've been able to afford it, first of all. That's the one extravagant thing I spend my money on and Gavin spends his money on -- phone bills: we don't even look at the bills. That and flights back and forth all the time.
"That's the reason we made it. That and the fact it's all up in the big plan and it's meant to be."
NO DOUBT will open for the Rolling Stones (below) on several shows of their US tour later this year.
"Isn't that wild?," Gwen Stefani says.
"Who knows what's going to happen next if that's happening. We did the U2 tour which was ridiculous, that was just after September 11. Opening for U2 at Madison Square Garden was the first big show in New York after that. To be on tour with them during such an emotional time with all those songs they have, it was intense.
"Then we get the call, would you like to open for the Rolling Stones. I remember being in seventh grade and the Stones playing Anaheim Stadium (in LA), it was live on TV and we had a slumber party. He had these baseball pants and all the girls were going wild and I was like, `Er, OK, I don't really get it'. Here we are getting to open for them."