ATP! Six Degrees Of Separation: The Maine

Contemporary rock favorites, The Maine, have constantly made waves of catchy, irresistible pop-rock anthems since their inception. The Arizona quintet just recently finished recording their fourth full-length album, so it’s only a matter of time before we are granted with fresh tunes. What better way to celebrate this feat than to connect them with the old-time band from the early 2000s, Nickelback. Both bands share spots under the vast, diverse rock umbrella (-ella, -ella), and we don’t have to travel too far outside The Maine’s comfort zone to find a thread that connects them to the Canadian rockstars.

Not too long ago, The Maine contributed to the fifth edition of the widely popular Punk Goes Pop album series with their rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ featuring Adam Lazzara (Taking Back Sunday). The album series –which spotlights your favorite bands recreating your favorite mainstream hits with their own unique hooks and twists-, is the brainchild of Fearless Records. At one point in their career, The Maine was signed to the label, alongside current Fearless Records favorites...

1) Pierce The Veil

The California-based post-hardcore band is not alien to touring with the big boys (and girls…who could forget the ladies). These guys have seen North America through a tour van/bus window dozens of times, as well as toured internationally with some of the greats (Silverstein, Attack Attack!, All Time Low, Parkway Drive). To get us to where we want to be, we’re gonna note the time Pierce The Veil scored a supporting spot on the spring Game Changers Tour in 2011 along with Bring Me the Horizon and We Came As Romans, a tour whose headliner was…


2) A Day To Remember

Simultaneously renowned and criticized for fusing together a plethora of sub-genres, A Day To Remember ignores any hints of negativity and –to put it simply- doesn’t give two shits what anyone thinks. Common Courtesy, the fifth studio album from the Ocala-based quintet, is expected to drop at some point this year, making its impending release date a highly anticipated news story. Who knows; maybe the new album will feature another pop cover. It would be reminiscent of what the band did on the re-release of their second LP, For Those Who Have Heart, on which they introduced their unique twist on ‘Since U Been Gone,’ which was originally sung by…


3) Kelly Clarkson

Everyone loves Kelly Clarkson. It’s okay; you don’t have to hide it, just accept it as truth. How could anyone resist singing in the shower or belting out the countless number one singles from the original American Idol winner? One of those hit singles is ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),’ which was nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards. The song was written by Jorgen Elofsson (Swedish songwriter who also co-wrote songs for Leona Lewis, Britney Spears, and Il Divo), David Gamson (keyboardist/musician who has worked with Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, and Donny Osmond), Greg Kurstin (songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who has worked with The Shins and P!nk, and also won a Grammy in 2009 for Producer of the Year) and Ali Tamposi, a songwriter whose roommate is…


4) Cassadee Pope

The former Hey Monday vocalist has expressed her admiration for the American Idol alumnus time and time again over the years. Hell, she has connections to someone who has worked with her; perhaps it is a matter of time before we see a collaboration from the two female frontrunners. Regardless, it’s no wonder that Pope chose to cover Clarkson’s ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ for the Top 12 competition round during her run on season three of The Voice, a singing competition which she eventually won –not unlike Clarkson herself. In addition to the numerous covers she performed during her time on the show, the ATP! in-house guidance counselor also covered ‘I’m With You’ during the quarter finals as her “Contestant’s Choice,” reprised the performance during the show’s season finale with the song’s original singer, another one of Pope’s role models…


5) Avril Lavigne 

That is everyone’s dream - to sing one of your favorite songs on stage in front of millions of people with one of your favorite artists –right? The Canadian singer/songwriter clearly put Pope on top of the world with this particular performance. The same reaction would happen to anyone else who idolizes Lavigne, particularly during her rock/pop reign with hit singles like ‘Complicated,’ ‘Sk8er Boi,’ ‘My Happy Ending,’ and ‘Girlfriend’. A little over two years ago, the singer split with husband and Sum 41 frontman, Deryck Whibley. The twenty-eight-year-old singer has moved on - keeping her preference for rock singers in bloom- and is currently engaged to Chad Kroeger, lead singer of…


6) Nickelback 

Believe it or not, Nickelback is pretty legit. The Canadian band has sold well over fifty million records, an achievement that is not as easy today as it was in a pre-music piracy era. Their extensive discography parallels a grueling touring schedule throughout their nearing eighteen-year-long presence. Nickelback does not stand alone in this category. There are hundreds of other bands with corresponding résumés, including bands like The Maine.