Payable On Death: Positive Counter-Culture
They may not look like the ideal young men to help your adolescent. Their style of music can’t really be classified as soothing. But Payable On Death, or P.O.D., is counter-culture in the positive sense. Their songs are deep and full of meaning and hope. Even the name P.O.D. suggests that life isn’t futile and that there is reward for living well once this life is over.
P.O.D’s latest album, Satellite, is triple platinum. They are the #1 selling artist on Atlantic Records and the #2 selling artist in all of Warner Music. But despite all this success, P.O.D. is still “keepin’ it real” with their fans. Here’s portions of their story as relayed on their website www.payableondeath.com:
The lyrical content throughout Satellite – often poignant, often powerful, always passionate – deals with the band’s outspoken belief in expressions of spiritual adventure and affirmation. A number of songs, including the Mexicali-tinted “Thinking About Forever” and the heartbreaking title track, were inspired by the death of a band member’s mother.
Perhaps the most powerful song on Satellite is “Youth of the Nation.” The track is the band’s raw, wrenching response to the recent plague of school violence. “We had done a show for some kids that went to Columbine,” says band member Sonny, “they wanted P.O.D. to play, just for a positive encouragement type thing. And it was always in the back of our minds, like, just what are these kids going through? This is the hardest time for kids.”
P.O.D. have long been passing knowledge onto their legion of devoted fans, known as The Warriors. This fiercely loyal grassroots following drove the 1999 single/video “Rock The Party (Off The Hook)” to the top spot on MTV’s Total Request Live – making P.O.D. the third-ever rock band to reach the #1 position in TRL history.
“We do what we know is right for us,” Sonny affirms. “And that’s it. We don’t go out there and give a sermon when we get on stage, we don’t shove anything down anybody’s throat. But we sing about what’s real in our life. And that’s the bottom line.”
And that’s positive counter-culture.
See P.O.D’s video Alive – Click Here
