Simple Plan

Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band that started in Montreal, Quebec, in 1999. The band members today are Pierre Bouvier, who sings and plays bass guitar in the studio, Chuck Comeau, who plays the drums, Jeff Stinco on lead guitar, and Sébastien Lefebvre on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.

They have released six studio albums: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls in 2002, Still Not Getting Any... in 2004, Simple Plan in 2008, Get Your Heart On! in 2011, Taking One for the Team in 2016, and Harder Than It Looks in 2022. They have also put out an EP called Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming! in 2013, and two live albums: Live in Japan 2002 in 2003 and MTV Hard Rock Live in 2005.

Simple Plan played at the Vans Warped Tour every year from 1999 to 2005, and again in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018. They also performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Vancouver. In 2004, they appeared in the movie New York Minute, starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The band sang "O Canada" at the 2016 NHL Winter Classic and created theme music for an episode of What's New, Scooby-Doo?.

History

Background

Main article: Reset (Canadian band)

Before forming Simple Plan, in 1993, Reset was created by lead vocalist Pierre Bouvier and drummer Chuck Comeau when they were just 13 years old. The original members were Bouvier, guitarist Philippe Jolicoeur, Comeau, and bassist Jean-Sébastien Boileau. The band was first called Roach, but changed their name to Reset because another Canadian band was already using that name. Their first full album, No Worries, came out in 1997. In 1998, the band’s lineup changed; Comeau left to go to college and Bouvier took over bass guitar. A new drummer, Adrian White, joined the band.

1999–2001: early years

In mid-1999, Bouvier met high school friends Jeff Stinco and Sébastien Lefebvre, who were in their own bands. Comeau, Stinco, and Lefebvre then formed a new band together. Bouvier was tired of playing both singer and bass, so he and Comeau reunited at a Sugar Ray concert to join the new band. Bouvier switched between this new group and Reset for a while before finally leaving Reset. David Desrosiers briefly took Bouvier’s place in Reset, which impressed both Bouvier and Comeau. Desrosiers was interested in joining another band and was asked to join the new group. He left six months later, allowing Bouvier to focus on singing and Stinco on guitar.

The band didn’t have a name at first. They thought about calling themselves Touchdown 999, but Bouvier’s friends chose the name Simple Plan, inspired by the 1998 film A Simple Plan, based on a 1993 novel by Scott B. Smith.

In 2001, Simple Plan performed at Edgefest II in Toronto and the Warped Tour. They rehearsed at Rumble Fish Studios and recorded at Arnyard Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Arnold Lanni. They signed with major label Atlantic Records in October 2001.

2002–2005: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls and Still Not Getting Any...

Main articles: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls and Still Not Getting Any...

In 2002, Simple Plan released their first studio album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, with singles like "I'm Just a Kid", "Addicted", and "Perfect". The band wanted to create a pure pop-punk record. The album was first released in the United States with 12 tracks. Enhanced and foreign versions had up to two extra tracks. Two pop-punk singers, Mark Hoppus from Blink-182 and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, contributed vocals. The years 2002 and 2003 were important for the band. MTV Networks featured "Addicted" on one of their top shows during spring 2003 in the United States and around the world. The song was also the theme for Fraternity Life, though the show was later canceled. The band kept gaining popularity on the charts and continued performing.

In 2002, the band also recorded the theme song for the rebooted What's New, Scooby-Doo?. The show used the band’s theme throughout its run until 2006 and featured many of their songs in episodes. The band appeared as themselves in the Season 2 episode “Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman”.

In 2003, the band headlined the Vans Warped Tour and appeared in the comedy slasher film Punk Rock Holocaust, where four of the band members were shown in a fictional story. They also opened for Avril Lavigne on her Try To Shut Me Up Tour that year. The album sold over four million copies worldwide, making it their best-selling album.

In 2004, Simple Plan released their second album, Still Not Getting Any..., produced by Bob Rock. The album included singles like "Welcome to My Life", "Shut Up", and "Crazy". The band considered other titles before choosing this one, reflecting their feeling that they weren’t getting good reviews. This album had deeper lyrical themes and a more mainstream sound compared to their first album.

In 2005, their cover of Cheap Trick’s "Surrender" was part of the soundtrack for the superhero film Fantastic Four.

During a concert in Stratford, Ontario in 2005, Bouvier was hit by a water bottle while performing "Welcome to My Life". He stumbled off the stage and was taken to a hospital, where he received stitches. The band finished the song with an audience member stepping in as a guest singer and cut the concert short. This injury made them cancel a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims the next night. In another incident, Comeau was hit by a glass bottle during a concert in Detroit, needing stitches. After these events, they went on a tour in South America.

2006–2009: Simple Plan

After almost a year and a half promoting Still Not Getting Any..., the band took a break from touring in early 2006 and started working on their third studio album. Bouvier went to Miami to work with Dave Fortman in March 2007. The band entered the studio for pre-production in Los Angeles on June 29. On July 15, they returned to Montréal to record at Studio Piccolo, where they had recorded Still Not Getting Any.... They finished recording and went back to Miami and Los Angeles to mix the album. The final part of making the record was done in New York City, and it was officially completed on October 21.

"When I'm Gone", the first single from Simple Plan, was released on October 29. The album was produced by Dave Fortman and Max Martin. On February 17, 2008, the band achieved their highest-charting single in the U.K. with "When I'm Gone", reaching number 26.

Simple Plan toured extensively to support the album. After promotional tours around the world, they played holiday shows in December 2007. In January, they continued promotional tours and played a triple bill in Camden Town, London on January 27, 2008, with each show featuring songs from one of their albums. They played four U.S. shows in late February and completed a European tour until late April. The band performed four shows in Japan, followed by several European festivals and headlining dates. On July 1, 2008, they gave a free concert on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City, attracting 150,000 people for their Canada Day show. After tours in the Far East, Germany, Mexico, and Australia, they played their second full European tour of the year from October 28 to November 29, including Estonia and Poland for the first time. They also performed in Tel Aviv and Dubai in early December, playing as a four-piece with Lefebvre on bass due to a family emergency for Desrosiers.

2010–2013: Get Your Heart On!

Main articles: Get Your Heart On! and Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming!

The band’s fourth album Get Your Heart On! was released on June 21, 2011. This album featured collaborations with artists like Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, Marie-Mai, Natasha Bedingfield, K'naan, and Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. In April, "Jet Lag" was released in English and French versions featuring Natasha Bedingfield and Marie-Mai. The band participated in Warped Tour 2011 for selected dates in June and July 2011.

In September and October 2011, Simple Plan performed four shows in Australia on the "Get Your Heart On" tour, with supporting bands Tonight Alive and New Empire. During the tour, Jenna McDougall from Tonight Alive joined them for "Jet Lag". We the Kings supported Simple Plan in Europe in spring 2012. The song "Last One Standing" was part of the NASCAR The Game: Inside Line soundtrack. The band performed live with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at Montreal Symphony House in Montréal, Quebec, Canada on September 20, 2011, raising over $500,000 for sick children and young people in need.

An EP titled Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming! was released on December 3. The band also uploaded a DVD directed by Peter John from Epik Films, shot by Peter John for the official Simple Plan YouTube channel, in high quality as a gift to fans.

2014–2016: Taking One for the Team

Main article: Taking One for the Team

In March 2014, it was announced that Frank Iero, rhythm guitarist from My Chemical Romance, was working with Simple Plan on their next album. The band confirmed this and estimated the album would be released in late 2015. In December 2014, they started choosing songs for the album. "Saturday" was released on June 21, 2015, though it wouldn’t be on the album.

In April 2015, Simple Plan performed with Canadian singer Andee at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour in Toronto. They also toured on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, performing five shows.

On August 28, 2015, the band released "Boom", a song from their upcoming fifth album, along with a music video featuring footage from the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, The Alternative Press Music Awards, and a Montreal performance at New City Gas. The video included members from bands like MxPx, All Time Low, New Found Glory, PVRIS, Pierce the Veil, The Summer Set, Silverstein, Black Veil Brides, Parkway Drive, and Issues.

On September 18, 2015, they released a second song from the album, "I Don't Wanna Be Sad," and a third called "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed," featuring rapper Nelly on October 16, 2015. On November 30, 2015, they announced the album title Taking One for the Team, with a release date of February 19, 2016, along with the album cover and the first tour dates. In 2016, they performed at the NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium against the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, singing "O Canada" during the pregame and the second intermission.

"Opinion Overload," the second single from Taking One for the Team, was released on February 5, 2016. Their third single, "Singing in the Rain," was released internationally on April 12. The album came out on February 19, 2016 and was described as a fun, feel-good album for fans of classic pop-punk.

2017–2025: David Desrosiers' departure and Harder Than It Looks

Main article: Harder Than It Looks

In 2017, the band toured to celebrate the 15th anniversary of No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, playing the entire album at each show. From May 2017 to June 2019, David Desrosiers was on hiatus recovering from depression. During this time, a touring musician named Chady Awad played bass, and Bouvier and Lefebvre shared Desrosiers’ vocal parts. This was the second time Desrosiers had been absent; the first was in December 2008 when Lefebvre temporarily switched to bass for two weeks.

In September 2017, Jeff Stinco mentioned that the band would start working on a new album in early 2018.

On June 8, 2019, Desrosiers rejoined the band in Cleveland, Ohio. On September 2, 2019, Pierre Bouvier said the band had fulfilled their contract with Atlantic and were now free agents, hinting at new music later that year.

In October 2019, Simple Plan released a collaboration with State Champs and We the Kings called "Where I Belong," and the three bands went on a tour together.

On July 10, 2020, it was announced that Desrosiers had left the band after accusations of misconduct on social media. Their touring bassist Chady Awad also left the band over similar allegations five days later.

On July 22, 2021, the band re-recorded the What's New, Scooby-Doo? theme song and made it available for streaming.

On November 5, 2021, they released "The Antidote," the first single from their sixth album. This was their first self-released album, distributed by The Orchard. On February 18, 2022, they released the single "Ruin My Life," featuring Deryck Whibley from Sum 41. On February 22, 2022, they announced a U.S. tour with Sum 41 called the Blame Canada tour, running from April to August 2022. On March 15, 2022, they announced the release of their sixth studio album Harder Than It Looks with the third promotional single "Congratulations". On April 8, 2022, they released the album's fourth single, "Wake Me Up (When This Nightmare's Over)". The album was released on May 6, 2022, and received positive reviews, reaching No. 84 on the Canadian Albums chart, #55 on Top Current Album Sales (US), and #90 on Top Album Sales (US) on the Billboard Charts.

Simple Plan started the Blame Canada tour on April 29, 2022, and announced they would continue with Sum 41 on a European tour beginning in September 2022.

In November 2022, they released an updated version of "I'm Just a Kid", featuring LØLØ.

In August 2023, they embarked on the “Let the Bad Times Roll” 2023 Summer tour with Sum 41 and The Offspring. They also announced a Mexico tour in Fall 2023 and a European tour for Winter 2024, starting in Paris and ending in England.

In October 2023, they released a new version of "Iconic" featuring Jax.

Simple Plan performed many times in 2024, including at the When We Were Young Fest in Las Vegas and their Hard As Rock Tour across the UK and Europe. In March 2024, they headlined the I Wanna Be Tour in Brazil with support from NX Zero. In April, they toured Australia with Boys Like Girls, We the Kings, and special guest Jax. Starting in August 2024, they went on tour with Avril Lavigne supporting her 'Greatest Hits' Tour.

On July 12, 2024, they released a pop-punk cover of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John, from the 1994 film The Lion King. It was part of Disney’s pop-punk covers album titled A Whole New Sound.

On July 25, 2024, the Simple Plan special edition box set became available for pre-order. The set contains the band's six studio albums and marks their 25th anniversary. The sets are limited to 1500 and each is signed by the band.

On July 13, 2024, after a show with Avril Lavigne at Scotiabank Arena on July 12, Simple Plan played a surprise pop-up show at Toronto’s Union station.

On October 19, 2024, during their WWWY set, Simple Plan announced they will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary on Prime Video, set to debut in 2025. Didier Charette is directing, and the film is in production with Sphere Media.

2025: The Kids in the Crowd and new music

On February 25, 2025, Simple Plan announced the Bigger Than You Think! U.S. headline tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Between August and September, the band will tour 19 cities with special guests 3OH!3, Bowling for Soup, and LØLØ.

On May 9, 2025, Simple Plan were featured on Avril Lavigne’s single "Young & Dumb". Simple Plan and Lavigne first toured together on Lavigne’s first tour, the Try To Shut Me Up Tour, from 2002 until its end in 2003, which inspired the song.

On July 6, 2025, the band released a documentary about their history titled Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd. On July 11, 2025, they released a soundtrack to The Kids in the Crowd featuring an unreleased song titled "Nothing Changes" along with fan favorites and early demos.

The band are confirmed to be appearing at Welcome to Rockville taking place in Daytona Beach, Florida in May 2026.

On February 10, 2026, Simple Plan announced the Bigger Than You Think! U.S. headline tour, The Sequel! Between July and August, the band will tour 19 cities with special guests Bowling for Soup and 3OH!3.

In October of 2026, the band will tour 21 countries in Europe, with stops in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, and more.

Musical style and legacy

Simple Plan's music can be described as pop-punk, alternative rock, pop rock, power pop, emo, and punk rock. Their style mixes classic punk energy with modern pop sounds.

In 2013, a magazine called OC Weekly placed Simple Plan fifth on its list of the "Top 10 Worst Emo Bands Of All Time." They said the band's music was very simple and suited for middle school listeners.

Simple Plan Foundation

The members of Simple Plan started the Simple Plan Foundation in 2005. The foundation helps teenagers who face many challenges, including health issues, money problems, and substance use. By November 2024, the foundation had raised and given away almost $3,000,000 to help others.

The band held special events and released songs to raise money for the foundation. For example, in 2008, they released a song called "Save You" to support people living with cancer. In 2011, they gave $10,000 to help after an earthquake in Japan. In 2024, they also helped people in Brazil after a big flood by giving money and selling special T-shirts, with all the money going to those affected by the flood.

Band members

The band Simple Plan has several members who help make their music. The current members are Pierre Bouvier, who sings and plays guitar, Chuck Comeau, who plays the drums, Jeff Stinco, who plays the lead guitar, and Sébastien Lefebvre, who plays the rhythm guitar and sings background vocals.

In the past, other musicians like David Desrosiers helped the band play and sing. Sometimes, other musicians join them for special performances.

Discography

Simple Plan, a Canadian rock band, has released several albums over the years. Their studio albums include No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls from 2002, Still Not Getting Any... from 2004, Simple Plan from 2008, Get Your Heart On! from 2011, Taking One for the Team from 2016, and Harder Than It Looks from 2022. These albums showcase the band's music and growth through the years.

Awards and nominations

Simple Plan has been nominated for and won several awards over the years. They received a CASBY Award in 2002 and a Juno Fan Choice Award in 2006. They also won a MuchMusic Video Award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2012, they won an NRJ Music Award. They have been nominated for awards like the Juno Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Teen Choice Awards, among others.