Editor’s Note: E Roland, the legendary vocalist of Collective Soul, sat down with Madness To Creation Podcast to discuss playing live, the excitement of getting to share the stage with Styx, his side project and how The Cars and Tom Petty influenced his music career. One thing that I loved and appreciated about E Roland was how warm and engaging he is and how much of a family man he is. Collective Soul dominated the 90’s and early 2000’s with their power guitar pop/rock, scintillating arrangements and heartfelt lyrics. Their songs such as “Shine”, “The World I Know”, “Heavy”, “December” and “Where The River Flows” resonated with millions of fans around the world and continue to do so to this day. Over this weekend, they will be sharing the stage with the legendary classic rock band Styx and they have some weekend show dates coming up throughout the summer and the fall. Fans should check out the album “Blood” and their cover EP entitled “Half & Half.” Fans can find Collective Soul on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and their official website.
2:32- E Roland of Collective Soul discussing how he’s always loved Styx and how much he misses performing live
3:52- What fans can expect from a Styx and Collective Soul show
4:43- E talking about being in quarantine through the pandemic and his love for his family and quality time with his sons and creating his new wave side project
6:23- Talking about how The Cars influenced his music and how he first saw them opening for Foreigner
8:38- Sharing about “The World I Know” and how he feels when fans come up to him saying that their music resonated with them
10:15- How E sees concerts happening post-pandemic
11:24- E Roland reminisces about Collective Soul’s chart topping success with hits like “Shine”, “December” and “The World I Know”
12:42- E shares about how he dislikes making music videos and how Tom Petty played an impact on his life.
14:08- E Roland shares about his love and devotion for his family
16:01- Promoting “Blood” and “Half & Half”, and whether or not they have upcoming music
Fans can catch Collective Soul providing direct support for Styx at the following dates:
Friday, June 25th- Providence HealthCare Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas
Saturday, June 26th- Ozarks in Camdenton, Missouri
Sunday, June 27th- The Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Collective Soul headlining dates:
Friday, July 9th- Promenade Park in Toledo, Ohio
Saturday, July 24th- Waukesha County Fair in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Sunday, July 25th- Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Friday, August 20th- BECU Live @ Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, Washington
Sunday, August 22nd- Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, California
Friday, August 27th- Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York
Saturday, August 28th- CMAC Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, New York
Sunday, August 29th- Hampton Beach Casino & Ballroom in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Wednesday, September 1st- Pavilion at Ravania in Highland Park, Illinois
Thursday, September 2nd- Q Casino in Dubuque, Iowa
Saturday, September 4th- Oregon State Fair in Salem, Oregon
Thursday, September 9th- Levitt Pavilion Steelstacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Friday, September 10th- Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia
Saturday, September 11th- Rose Music Center at the Heights in Huber Heights, Ohio
Thursday, September 23rd- Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama
Friday, September 24th- IP Casino, Resort & Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi
Saturday, September 25th- Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Friday, October 1st- Stiefel Theater for the Performing Arts in Salina, Kansas
Saturday, October 2nd- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, Oklahoma
Thursday, October 7th- Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina
Friday, October 29th- Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey
Saturday, October 30th- Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Saturday, November 6th- Fox Tower at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Connecticut
Sunday, November 7th- The Anthem in Washington D.C.
Thursday, November 11th- Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia
Friday, November 12th- Albany Municipal Auditorium in Albany, Georgia
For tickets and further information in regards to any show listed above, click here.
Now Madness To Creation Presents the Top Ten Collective Soul songs:
- Disclaimer, our list is purely subjective and it’s from a mental health standpoint. Collective Soul is one of those bands that resonate with me. Check out the YouTube playlist and share it!
10. “Where The River Flows” – the song exudes positivity and moving forward. Plus the guitar hooks are off the chain.
9. “Why Part 2”- “Tell me why it doesn’t feel the same”- moving forward from an obsession and an addiction.
8. “Goodnight, Good Guy”- I remember going to a waterpark with a couple childhood friends when I was a kid, and we came up with our own dance in the backseat of the van to this song. It’s always fun to reminisce.
7. “Over Me”- This song is a perfect concert opener.
6. “Now’s The Time”- This song is a perfect “entrance song” post-pandemic. Now’s the time to break through(those aren’t the lyrics), but that’s what I think of when I hear this song
5. “Gel”- This song brings back serious nostalgic vibes, back when times seemed innocent
4. “Shine”- This song brought tears to my eyes when E Roland led us into the song with a beautiful piano arrangement.
3. “December”- The song is poignant and has a more solemn feel to it as we age
2. “Heavy”- And all your weight, it falls on me, it brings me down. That lyric hits me so hard, I get literal goosebumps all over
- “The World I Know” – The first song I remember resonating with as an angsty teenager. I remember crying every time the music video came on MTV. This song always reminds me that it always gets better. This could be my all-time favorite song. I’m crying as I’m listening to it again. Thank you Collective Soul for writing and arranging this song.
Fans can check out this episode featuring E Roland of Collective Soul via SoundCloud below:
https://soundcloud.com/madnesstocreation/season-2-ep-9-e-roland-of
