"Passion" is a word that the members of Coldplay use frequently but not lightly. "Honesty" isn’t far behind.
     To those familiar with their music, and its layers of depth, no explanation is necessary. Will Champion will have a go at it anyway.
     "If you lose your integrity and your passion for music, you don’t deserve to be in the band," says Coldplay’s drummer. "A million other people can do it better than you if you don’t really believe in it."
     So, yes, passion and honesty are very important words to these British rockers, says Champion. If you don’t live them you may as well be in another line of work, he implies.
     Catch one of their concerts, he says, and you’ll find energy, excitement and "just people playing great music—passionately."
     You may have noticed that America, and the world, have taken notice. The group’s 2000 debut CD, Parachutes, sold 1.4 million copies (nearly 5 million worldwide) behind the mellow tracks "Yellow" and "Trouble," and received the Grammy for alternative album.
     And their follow-up CD, A Rush of Blood to the Head, is earning more critical acclaim while receiving another alternative-album Grammy. The quartet was showcased in the live Grammy telecast, performing "Politik" ("Give me real, don’t give me fake"), off the new album, with members of the New York Philharmonic.
     Champion is still savoring the moment with the Philharmonic, the first time the band has played with an orchestra. "I was very nervous, but it was enjoyable once we got into it. It was great playing with such an amazing group of people. It’s something we definitely want to experience again," he says.
     Receiving the Grammy really was a good feeling, he says. "We all said it doesn’t matter, and in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t, but it’s nice to be recognized. For us it’s a sign we have made an impact in America. That’s amazing to us."
     "Coldplay has the heat right now, being the coolest band coming out of Britain," says Tom O’Neill, author of The Grammys.
     Champion: "It is a big deal for a British band to get to where we are trying to get to. It’s not an easy thing."
     Yet he is not surprised at all the attention the band has been receiving. "We think we are a great band," he says without apology.
     Many musicians feel that way about their groups and don’t receive such notice, he is reminded. What, then, is the difference about Coldplay?
     "If I could answer that, we would have instant success with anything we do. We work hard and we’re passionate about what we do. We never let our standards drop."
     And here come those words again: "Coldplay is about being real, honest, passionate, soulful," Champion says.
     Doesn’t everyone appreciate honesty, he wonders aloud. "People can see right through a facade. People just appreciate something they can relate to and something not obviously fake."
     Champion says the goal for Coldplay is to evoke some kind of emotion. "We hope that people get something, just get anything out of our music. If they hate it, better than going in one ear and out the other. We want to evoke a response and get people to feel something."
     In the end, Coldplay just does what it does, he says. "I don’t make a point of trying to analyze what’s good about it. I leave that to other people."
     The group has always had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to do, he says. "It’s sad that’s not always the case with all bands. I guess we are lucky to have that.
     It’s not that some bands are afraid to exercise freedom, Champion says. It’s just that a lot of bands get signed to contracts that place limitations on them.
     "They don’t necessarily read what they are signing. We were very careful when we signed a record deal. We didn’t want to be taken for a ride or compromise anything. We were very careful to have total control from day one."
     They used that control in making A Rush Of Blood To The Head. It represents progression, Champion says. "We were striving to feel we progressed. I think we are happy with that. We feel we accomplished that. We want people to feel some emotional connection with the songs and feel like they are real, and understand what they mean and feel what they mean."
Frontman Chris Martin writes all the lyrics. Martin admires his passion for what he does "24 hours a day." Guitarist Jonny Buckland brings a calming presence, he says.
     There is no set way the creative process works for the band. "Chris might bring us an idea for a song and we just sit around and play with it and take it from there," he explains.
     Champion sees himself as quite levelheaded. "And I’m a good drummer," he says, laughing. He insists that his approach to drumming is "quite haphazard. I hit them as hard as I can and see what happens."
     The group operates as a democracy, he says. "We all have to play all roles, be honest with each other and critical of each other and ourselves. That’s how we maintain our standards, never letting things go unsaid. We have to be very critical. … These guys are my best friends."
     He does not mind not being in the same spotlight as Martin and Buckland. "I certainly enjoy not being in the spotlight," he assures. "I’m a very important part of a great thing. If it means I don’t have to be in front of everything, I know my worth and I’m happy with that."
     What keeps it fun? "There’s not much which isn’t fun inherently. We enjoy what we do and there’s a knowledge we are achieving something and people are really getting something out of it."
     He senses that Coldplay’s audience is "just people who love music. We don’t care if they are young or old, as long as they enjoy the music."
     Keith Wozencroft, managing director of the band’s U.K. label, Parlophone, has said that Coldplay’s members feel they want to live up to the things that have been written about them, and "they’re in a rush to prove themselves."
     Champion expresses it another way. "We are definitely out to prove ourselves, but we don’t think we have to live up to anything anyone else has written about us. We feel we have to live up to our expectations."
     Motivation comes easily. "It’s just about wanting to be the best we can and put every effort into it," Champion says. "We know we’ve got this opportunity and it doesn’t come around often."