Maddens promise family fun
Joel Madden says his new music with twin brother Benji is more "family friendly" than his work with punk-rock band Good Charlotte.
A dedicated father to children Harlow, 6, and Sparrow, 4, with wife Nicole Richie, the rocker recently branched out to form lighter two-piece The Madden Brothers.
And the move is paying off, with the duo's debut single We are Done hitting No.1 on the ARIA singles chart and their album Greetings from California generating hype even before its September 12 release date.
The siblings will come to Perth for a gig at Crown Theatre on November 7, where they are encouraging fans to come down with their broods in tow.
"People who may never have listened to Good Charlotte, because our sound was very specific, are getting into We Are Done," Joel told AAA by phone from Los Angeles.
"When people come to the show, it will be a family show. We will be playing the record, old songs and songs that people know that aren't ours. It's so much broader and different from a Good Charlotte show, so I think the whole family will be able to come, no matter what age."
Joel spends a large part of his year Down Under thanks to his roles on The Voice and its Voice Kids spin-off, and considers Australia his "home away from home".
While the singer said he and Richie coped fine with all his travelling ("That's just teamwork, you know?"), he would love it if his children could spend more time in his adopted country.
"The kids come out every year with me and they love it," Joel said.
"Australia is a great family place - the beaches and the parks and everybody is so nice. It's a wonderful experience for them."
The Madden Brothers can boast working with Pharrell Williams on their latest album but they too have lent a hand on a recent record for another act.
The boys co-wrote Aussie sensation 5 Seconds of Summer's current hit Amnesia and Joel can't say enough great things about the up-and-comers.
"I liked those guys immediately the first time I met them," he said.
"At the time, they were really young and I thought it was cool because I know their story. I knew they liked Good Charlotte and they reminded me of a young Good Charlotte.
"They immediately became like little brothers - I met them in America and because they are Australian I was protective of them a little bit. They represent Australia well in the world."
