The Sunday Mail (March 5th 2000)

Thirty Not Out

They hit the big time five years ago with their single Don't Speak.

Yet, No Doubt's success brought inner turmoil for stunning frontwoman Gwen Stefani.

As the US group watched in sheer disbelief as their lives literally turned upside-down over night with the unexpected success of the album Tragic Kingdom.

Gwen grew increasingly uneasy with the person she was becoming, with her new- found fame acting as a catalyst for her personal insecurities.

"A lot of things contributed to the way I was feeling at the time but being the centre of attention certainly didn't help," recalls Gwen "I don't know whether it was the dip after being on tour for such a long time and losing my own identity but my twenties were a very transitional period for me. I was living the high life but I was desperately unhappy."

Don't Speak, the autobiographical track which broke the band, was an account of the break- up of Gwen's seven-year-long relationship with fellow band member, Tony Kanal.

Gwen said: "When I wrote Don't Speak we weren't very successful so it never dawned on me that anyone would ever get to hear the album," she explains "I think if anything, being so honest attracts people to your music. They can relate to you. At that time the break up with Tony was the most emotionally taxing thing which had happened to me. I honestly felt like I had lost a limb. Emotions motivated me to write. A smash-hit single was never the real motivation."

Gwen admits that she finds solace in her autobiographical approach to songwriting. "I guess music is therapeutic for everyone," she says "I was actually thinking about this last night, about why I write the way I do. The way I see it is music is about you and your life experiences and through music this becomes intensified and that in itself is confidence boosting and very rewarding. It helps you deal with the issues you have in life and guides you forward."

The success of the single was just the tip of the iceberg for the group of friends from California as their album Tragic Kingdom went on to be a platinum selling album across the world. Overnight No Doubt became a rock force to be reckoned with. With it came the pitfalls of success as the band embarked upon a physically demanding tour which saw them travel the world almost non stop for two years.

It was then that Gwen first started to question her state of mind as she felt isolated and alone. She is quick to assert that the source of her unease was not entirely due to No Doubt's popularity.

She said: "I think it was probably just growing pains. Life experiences I would have had to tackle regardless of my position in life or what I did. It was just the way I felt at the time. I panicked but now everything's so much clearer."

The latest session of therapy for No Doubt comes with the release of their long-awaited album Return to Saturn.

The album's title refers to the notion that in the first 29 years of someone's life (the same time it takes Saturn to orbit the Sun), a person is only beginning to understand their self.

This self-awareness is something which Gwen herself faced on turning 30. "From the time you're born 'til the time Saturn returns to that point is a point of reassessment and a growing period," she claims, "at this point you second guess everything and clear out the things that are going to be in the way of you moving on in life."

For Gwen her coming of age meant that she could close a chapter of her life which had long been the source of great unhappiness. "I really did feel like I was going through a transitional phase in my life as I made this album," she adds, "A huge turning point came when I completed Return to Saturn. It was a major triumph and I am so proud of what we've achieved together.

"It's everything that I have been in the last two years, which have been really hard years for me. I just feel this sense of accomplishment and this lightness has come over me since the album has been finished. It's so rewarding to be done and I feel so proud of it and what we as a band have achieved."

Much like Scotland's rock outfit Texas, No Doubt's strong and beautiful leading lady continues to be a great source of interest for fans and the media alike. But how do the rest of No Doubt deal with the attention which Gwen receives?

"We expect it and understand it, after all the frontman or woman always gets the most attention, that's the way it is," says drummer Adrian Young,"That's the reality and never more so than when that frontperson is a very attractive woman like Gwen. The attention she gets doesn't bother the rest of us."

It is clear from the way Adrian talks about Gwen that No Doubt find strength in unity. They have a closeness which few rock bands can claim and it was this apparent bond which attracted The Artist formerly known as Prince.

After watching No Doubt performing on the David Letterman Show, The Artist was drawn by the way the band connected so much so that he asked them to record with him. A musical collaboration in which Gwen admits she was unashamedly awe-struck.

"I couldn't believe it," she giggles,"I felt so sexy singing with Prince. It was the most incredible experience."

Now in their 13th year, No Doubt have far outlived many similar bands. So what is their secret for a successful long-term relationship?

"Togetherness," says Gwen "We made a commitment to each other at the beginning and it was borne out of trust and passion. Nothing has changed. I guess it's like being married, you must learn the art of communication. It's the key to true happiness. We love each other and Return to Saturn is testament to how much we've been through together because the chemistry in the studio was so strong."