Collective Soul

Sure, “following” celebrities around on Twitter is currently all the rage among the addicts of the online social networking Website. But the members of the Stockbridge-birthed band Collective Soul have quickly distinguished themselves on the popular networking site by adhering to the rock act’s long-held fan philosophy.

Unlike Twittering celebs Ashton Kutcher, John Mayer, Demi Moore, etc., the boys in Collective Soul are actually following more fans than they have following them (on Monday, the band had 14,762 followers while they were following 15,201 of their fans).

Web insiders, like Oceanside, Calif-based blogger Webaddict columnist Joel Mackey have taken notice of the band’s unique, more interactive approach and are praising the personal touch (see:http://openpresswire.com/). For weeks, Brothers Ed and Dean Roland, guitarist Joel Kosche and bassist Will Turpin have kept fans in the loop almost hourly with updates and personal pics as the band created its brand-new album (tentatively due out Aug. 25) at a lake house together.

“We’re using Twitter as an extension of how we’ve always interacted with fans,” Dean Roland told us the other night at Urban Flats in Buckhead. “After a show when we’re walking to the bus, if there are fans there waiting, we’re going to talk to them and see how they liked the show. We always want them to feel a part of the process. When Twitter came along, it was just another great tool for us to stay connected.”

Through June 15, the band is sponsoring a contest where fans can score an autographed guitar, backstage passes and concert tickets for blogging their personal thoughts about the band while mentioning the band’s blog site and Twitter profile (for details: http://twitter.com/collective_soul).

Dean is understandably excited about the new album.

“We just finished it at 5 a.m. [Wednesday],” he previewed. “It was the first time in 10 years that we holed up together and wrote and recorded as a band. There was so much more collaboration with no creative limitations. When you just show up in a studio, it can feel like going to a job.”

He’s particularly excited for fans to hear “You,” a mid-tempo tune the band wrote together.

Laughed Roland: “We had a lot of fun doing that one. We kinda do a Pete Townshend/The Who instrument bashing thing at the end!”