Most rock bands never get a second chance. Of course, most bands don't deserve one, but even the ones that do don't often get one. Luckily for Christopher Thorn, Brad Smith, Dave Krusen, and Chris Shinn, a batch of second chances was recently made available at a low, low price. Which is good news for these guys, who used to be in Blind Melon, Pearl Jam, and Celia Green, respectfully, but have now come together under a new moniker, Unified Theory.

Don't call it a comeback, though, or a supergroup. Or a contrived plan to bilk fans of their former bands out of whatever a CD costs these days. As Christopher notes, Unified Theory may be a democracy, but it wasnt formed by committee. "Since Blind Melon broke up," the guitarist explains, sipping an iced tea at the Bourgeois Pig in Los Angeles, "I was producing. I did a song with Gus for the Scream soundtrack, and an album for Amy Correia, a country album... I even produced Brad's solo album [which has not been released yet]. But after a while I felt like I wanted to be in a band again. So I packed up and moved to Los Angeles and tried to find a singer."

That might sound like fun, but as Christopher found out, it wasnt as easy. "I listened to thousands of tapes," he explains, "and I went out every night, but there was nothing but crap. I was getting really discouraged. But then I heard Chris' band Celia Green, and completely fell in love with his voice. I knew this was the guy." The twosome returned to Seattle to work with Brad, who Thorn had stayed in touch with in the years following Blind Melon's break-up, and within in the first couple of days the trio had written two songs, "Passive" and "Cessna". "After that", Thorn recalls, we were like, "Okay, everyone stop what you're doing, we have to be a band."

Unfortunately, there was a slight snag. In the same week Thorn met Shinn (insert joke here), Christopher had also received a call from the guys in Live, asking him if he'd play guitar on tour for a couple weeks, which turned into a couple more weeks when they asked if hed also play on their album, the since-released The Distance To Here. "It would've been hard to say no to Live," Christopher admits. "'No thank you, I'm going to start my own band and eat shit in a van for two years.' But when I went back to Brad and Chris and told them that I wanted to do this, they were cool with it." The delay proved to be beneficial, though, as it gave Brad and Chris a chance to get to know each other.

Chris did eventually return to Seattle, and to his new bandmates, but also to another problem: no drummer. "We auditioned drummers for a year," he sighs, "we must've auditioned fifteen different guys." Eventually, though, they went back to the guy who had been their first choice all along, Dave Krusen, whos best known for being in Pearl Jam just long enough to record their debut, Ten. "Dave had actually played on the first two songs we did," Christopher recalls, "but then he went on tour. So when he came back, and we still hadn't found anyone, it was perfect."

With all the pieces in place, the fearsome foursome recorded the songs that would become their eponymous debut. Of course, for Christopher and Brad, a new album with a new band probably wont stop fans from wondering when they're going to get back with their old band (a question Dave wont have to endure, seeing as his replacement in Pearl Jam has since seen his own replacement get replaced). In fact, the guys in Blind Melon had originally planned to continue, albeit with a new singer and name, after they lost vocalist Shannon Hoon to a drug overdose. "We tried for a long time, actually," Christopher admits, "but every time we got in a room with a new singer, it just always felt like something was missing. So at a certain point we just decided to go our separate ways."

How Christopher ended up in another band with Brad, though, was less problematic. "You're close when you're in a band together," he explains, "but Brad and I became even closer after Blind Melon ended. We lived three minutes away from each other, and, I dont know, maybe we just leaned on each other. But hes also the most valuable player to have in a studio. Almost everything I produced I had Brad play on. When you're in a band together, you sometimes take people for granted. But after Blind Melon ended, I realized what a great friend he was, and what an incredible musician he is, so it was natural for us to work together."

It's also natural, he continues, that Unified Theory sound a bit like Blind Melon. "That's actually flattering to me. Y'know, we were in Blind Melon, so if we sound like Blind Melon, that's okay." Though that, in his mind, is not a reason to play Blind Melon songs when Unified Theory start touring. "Chris and I have always said from day one: this is not the continuation of Blind Melon. When people say Chris is the new singer for Blind Melon, I always say, 'No, I'm Chris' new guitar player.'"

Of course, being a whole new band doesn't mean the guys in Unified Theory are going to be as wide-eyed and innocent as they were when their other bands first started. Even if thats what they'd prefer. "Sometimes I wish I was oblivious now as I was then," Christopher concedes, "because the more you know the harder it is going through it. We're really conscious of not making the same mistakes, and sometimes that keeps you up at night."

"But one thing I did learn from being in Blind Melon," he notes, "is how important art is to me. To wake up every day and do your art is a privilege. At a certain point, we [Blind Melon] took that for granted, we just assumed we were going to have that every day, but then it was taken away from us, and that's when I realized that it was a privilege to be able to be able to wake up every day and play my guitar. And now that that's clear to me, I want to work even harder to keep it."

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