He's just learned that his band, Nickelback, is the first Canadian group since The Guess Who to have a No. 1 single—Kroeger's "(This Is) How You Remind Me)"—in Canada and America at the same time.
     It is a humbling piece of information, he says, and an obvious source of pride. It also is the highest debut ever for their label, Roadrunner Records, home of Slipknot, Soulfly and others.
     It was only a year ago when Kroeger, sitting poolside in San Francisco to talk about the group's debut American album, The State, waxed optimism about the rockers' future.
     The industry buzz was on, and they were being seen by all the right people on all the right tours, including Creed, 3 Doors Down, Fuel, Sevendust and other bands. "Things are bubbling up," the singer/guitarist/lyricist said then.
     And they continue to do so with Nickelback's new follow-up album, Silver Side Up. If all goes well, Kroeger says, both Silver Side Up and The State will be Gold by December. "That's all I want for Christmas," he says.
     The hook-laden "How You Remind Me," though it is from Silver Side Up, has also re-ignited sales of The State. "That happens when people discover you and tend to go back and buy earlier stuff," he says.
     Kroeger believes that "How You Remind Me" is reaching people because they can relate to the song.
     After an argument with his girlfriend, he went downstairs, picked up the guitar and the lyrics flowed.
     "So many people can identify with it. They can relate to every word I'm saying. We all have been in those relationships," he says. "Sometimes people tend to equate songs with different things or emotions. They think of boyfriends or girlfriends in the past.
     "For me, I was just getting out of a relationship that was starting to go really sour. After 17 arguments it's easy to go downstairs and write a song like that," he laughs.
     Kroeger says he likes writing songs about life. "And we try to do it with good rhythms and melodies. There's always going to be room in the world for good melodies," he says. "It doesn't matter what the trend is, people will always get melodies stuck in their heads. If you can write good melodies that will stick in their heads, they will enjoy your work."
     The artistic goal for the new album was to go to places Nickelback could not get to before, Kroeger says.
     "The new single is lighter than any other Nickelback song. There are five or six songs that are heavier than any we have had. The last song, 'Good Times Gone,' is bluesier than we have ever had before."
     In recording the Silver Side Up album, Kroeger says the musicians never had to utter the line "Good enough." "That's one phrase we used on the last album due to the money. We got to spend the label's money this time," he says, laughing.
     They have all the freedom they want, he assures. "There have never been any rules on us. I like it when there are no rules or boundaries. If we were one kind of band it pretty much means we have to write one kind of music that sticks to a category. We are the ones making the rules when it's time to write songs."
     In addition to Kroeger, "we" is his brother and bassist Mike Kroeger, guitarist and vocalist Ryan Peake and drummer Ryan Vikedal. "We are four guys who are down to earth and don't buy into the rock star b.s. thing," he says.
     Last year was their first sustained time playing in the United States and Chad Kroeger says it was an important learning experience.
     "I learned we had to step it up a notch. There were so many bands down here trying to entertain people and make their mark. We had to do the same thing. We had to take it to the next mark," he says.
     "I guess we had to start acting like professionals. Before, it was like it was no big deal playing in a rock band. It is a big deal, hiring a crew and endorsements from [instrument] companies and bigger and bigger buses and selling more records."
     In some ways, he says, it has been a lot easier for the band in America than in Canada because of the radio airplay in the States. "We had to work a lot harder in Canada than we did here, going back to the play the same place four and five times before we could move up to the next size venue in Canada."
     Kroeger says his band has what he calls an American sound. "I think the American public really just embraced Nickelback. Half the time people think we are from Texas," he explains, laughing. "They say I don't sound Canadian or have an accent."
     So, what is an American sound?
     Better first to explain what a Canadian sound is, he suggests.
     A lot of Canadian bands enunciate their words differently, he explains. And they often deal with different subject matter in their songs.
     "Look at a band like The Tragically Hip and their topics," he says. "There is a lot of Canadian subject matter, Canadian history, ships that have sunk, you name it. Americans could care less about these Canadian topics."
     Kroeger says he loves so many American bands that he really does not enunciate words like a Canadian. "I love CCR. And tons of old American rock bands are like my favorites, just good old rock."
     When it all comes down to it, that's where he says Nickelback fits into today's music scene: as a good ol' rock band.
     "We are dead down the middle rock and roll," he says. "People can say we are alternative rock or post grunge, they can put any sticker they want on us or any label. At the end of the day it's rock and roll."
     The stage remains their strongest vehicle for expressing that, he says. "All those people are standing there and saying 'Impress me.' We have to go out there and we have to win them over," Kroeger says. "We have to make them feel like it isn't 'the four of us against all of you.' It's all of us. As soon as we can make an audience feel that way, that we are comfortable onstage doing what we do, it's just us playing our songs to entertain people. That's when we are at our finest."