It’s probably (well, definitely) somewhat of an understatement to say Collective Soul frontman and chief songwriter Ed Roland is unwaveringly driven in his desire to double down on doing more of what he does best – making music, sweet music, both in the studio and onstage. 

“People ask me if I have a hobby, but for me, it’s just music,” Roland confirms. “I mean, I don’t know what else to do, because that’s what I love to do. I live in the studio — but then the time comes when I go, ‘Well, now I wanna go play live.’ I just love the creation of music, and the process of finding out what’s gonna happen with it next. That kinda defines it all for me.”

In following his ever-tenacious muse, Roland is always looking to connect with his current Collective Soul bandmates any which way he can. Actually, the word current is a bit of a misnomer, since Roland truly believes the Collective Soul of the here and now is as permanently intertwined as any group of musicians he’s ever worked with over the course of his illustrious career. “It’s worth noting See What You Started by Continuing was really the demo for this band as it stands right now,” Roland points out, referring to the 2015 album that realigned the rock quintet’s creative compass. “I mean, this is the band for the rest of my life. This is it, man.” 

Seeing eye to eye, and ear to ear, is part of the secret sauce of why Collective Soul continues to both record and play together at an uncompromised level of high quality. “That’s the end goal for everybody in this band,” agrees Roland. “Just because I write the songs doesn’t mean I’m the only one who wants it all to come out right. We all want it to be right – and that’s because this is a band that acts like a band.” 

Working in tandem, sharing unbridled opinions, and listening to what everyone else has to say without recrimination are all key proponents in fostering Collective Soul’s perpetual harmony. “That’s the forte of this band,” Roland acknowledges. “We discuss things together, we figure them out together, and we make sure to get everything right. That’s how we love to do it. And I say this out of confidence, and not out of ego — we’re really, really good at it, too.”