After a two-year break, matchbox twenty is gearing up for a Dec. 30-Jan. 1 reunion at the Joint in Las Vegas. According to guitarist Kyle Cook, the veteran pop/rock act is also hoping to regroup for a new studio album, which would be its first since 2002’s “More Than You Think You Are.”
Asked what it took to bring the members of the Rob Thomas-fronted act back together, Cook tells Billboard.com with a smile, “Vegas, cash, New Year’s Eve and booze, all in that order.”
“We’re at a time when everybody is doing a lot of different music, but the opportunity arose and Rob was available to do it, so we can get the machine fired up again,” he continues. “We’ll probably rehearse for a week at my studio in Orlando, Fla.”
Although Cook admits the group hasn’t “begun any writing or even looking at any material yet,” he says he and drummer Paul Doucette already have an idea of where they next want to take matchbox twenty’s sound.
“Paul and I have been talking about the idea of reinventing the concept of what this band is,” Cook says. “The idea is to get edgier. We want to explore other things. The idea is to come with something nobody would expect, but obviously we need that pop sensibility we’ve always had.”
There’s no timetable for the band to hit the studio though, as Thomas will return to the road Feb. 13 in Adelaide in support of his smash solo debut, “Something To Be.”
