Neil Sanderson is the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the Canadian band Three Days Grace. He cites his influences as John Bonham, Danny Carey and Phil Rudd.
Biography[]
Neil Sanderson was born on the 17 December 1979. Sanderson took up the piano before he started school. He had an avid interest in music and worked with different instruments while he was in elementary school. He became enamored of drums during this time He entered Norwood District High School in 1992, and met Adam Gontier. With bassist Brad Walst, they created a band named "Groundswell". The album Wave of Popular Feeling was released under the Groundswell name. Sanderson was also the drummer for Christian rock band Thousand Foot Krutch from 1996 to 1997.
Under the name "Three Days Grace" the band played various concerts and locations in Toronto and eventually signed a recording contract with the American label, Jive Records. The band's first album, the self titled Three Days Grace, was released in 2003. Three singles from the album, "I Hate Everything About You", "Just Like You", and "Home" became hits, each reaching first place on the US Rock Charts. This album has been certified "Platinum". The band released a second album, One-X in 2006. That album reached fifth place on the Billboard Album Chart. Three singles from that album "Animal I Have Become", "Pain", and "Never Too Late" also reached first place on the US Rock charts. This album has also been certified "Platinum". In 2006 Three Days Grace won an American Billboard "Song of the Year" award. In 2006, Three Days Grace served as the opening act for the Rolling Stones in Saskatchewan. Three Days Grace has toured in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and Japan. Speaking of the bands comeback from problems in 2005 (when Adam spent time in rehab) Sanderson said, "Now it's all about maintaining that communication, and it makes touring so much easier and a so much more enjoyable experience." Sanderson was thrilled by the success of Three Days Grace. Speaking in Greensboro, North Carolina during their 2008 tour, he said: "We get to blow stuff up onstage now. We like to put in as much production and lights as we can. The seizure factor has gone way up." Speaking of the band's move to larger playing sites, he continued "It's great to be able to see everybody in a smaller place. But the same people who were there in the early days are still there for us." Speaking of fan response to album songs, he said: "We also play a lot of album tracks, and the crowd sings along just as much for those. These days, you have to make an awesome album. I think we're getting back to where people want to hear real stuff, since so much is contrived these days." In 2009 the band released the album Life Starts Now. It was initially listed at number three on the Billboard album chart.