P.O.D. Breaks Through

NEW YORK -- Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth advertising. That's the lesson to be learned from heavy-rock-meets-rap band P.O.D. (which stands for "payable on death"). The San Diego-based group is starting to reap the rewards of a grass-roots buzz that's breaking through to the mainstream with "The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown," P.O.D.'s major-label debut album on Atlantic Records.

Released in August 1999, the album climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the March 4 issue, and currently stands at No. 94 on The Billboard 200.

"What's been selling the album has been word-of-mouth," lead singer Sonny says emphatically. "The loyalty of our fans is incredible. We don't need to have a pop single to have a loyal fan base."

P.O.D. has had an underground following since the mid-'90s, when the band started to tour and self-release its albums. P.O.D. brought enough attention to itself through its do-it-yourself work ethic that major labels soon came calling, and the band signed with Atlantic.

"We weren't jumping to sign with a major label," Sonny continues. "We signed on our own terms. We've been real lucky in almost every aspect of what Atlantic does.We have a say-so in every decision that gets made about this band."

Since the release of "Fundamental Elements Of Southtown," P.O.D. -- whose other members are guitarist Marcos, bassist Traa, and drummer Wuv -- has toured with Primus and Sevendust.

In addition to the street buzz on P.O.D., more commercial media outlets are starting to pay attention to the band. "Southtown," the first single from the current album, has been steadily rising up the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it stands at No. 33 in the issue dated March 18.

The video for "Southtown" has landed on MTV's playlist and is currently among the 40 most-played videos on the network, according to Broadcast Data Systems. Sonny says, "It wasn't one of our goals to be on MTV, but I'm not someone who thinks he's too cool for MTV and radio. I think people are looking for a band like P.O.D. that has something positive to say."

The positive message he refers to is P.O.D.'s expression of spirituality throughout its music. The band members, who Sonny says had a rebellious teenage background, aren't shy about talking about their Christian beliefs. P.O.D., he says, isn't a contemporary Christian band but a band whose members happen to be Christian.

Sonny explains, "When I talk to someone who's not a Christian, they shouldn't feel automatically alienated. We're not ashamed of our faith in God, because our faith is what motivates us to write music. We're not here to judge people or to say we're role models. We just say that this is what works for us, and if it works for you, that's great."

He adds that family has remained a top priority for the band. "There's always a balance we've been able to achieve between our work and home life. In the six years that we've been touring, we've never toured for more than six weeks in a row.

"Now that there's more demand for us, we have to keep our priorities straight, because we love our families," he says. "My wife's due to give birth in April, and we're not touring that month because of that. I'm not here to live a rock'n'roll lifestyle, partying with the chicks backstage. I don't buy into the idea that I'm going to be a rock star for the rest of my life. That's so fake."

On May 15 P.O.D. begins a month-long tour in Europe with Korn, and has also landed a coveted mainstage slot on this year's Ozzfest tour.

"Rock The Party (Off The Hook)," a radio-friendly album track the band resisted as the label's choice for its first single, is scheduled to be the band's next single, tentatively due for release by late spring/early summer.

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