The band is out in support of its new album Away From the Sun, the sophomore follow-up to the group's six times platinum debut, The Better Life.

"Things are going well so far," he says. "Everything we've done prior to this was all promotional. We just went out and played some bars, some clubs, and some small places. It's been a couple of years since (we have played small places like this). Prior to this it's all been arenas and sheds." Arenas meaning coliseums, and Sheds meaning large outdoor Amphitheaters.

"It's like startin' over again," admits Henderson of the band's return to smaller venues. "It's cool. We needed to do that, because "Kryptonite" blew up so fast that we never had the chance to, kinda, pay our club dues like a lot of other bands have. And, it showed because we showed up in arenas and we weren't as ready as we could've been for that. So, it's kinda cool that we went back and did it again — kinda humbled ourselves."

The Better Life produced four hit singles, hovered on the Billboard Top 10 for 13 weeks, and the mega-hit "Kryptonite" went to the number one spot in six different radio formats. It was also the first song to land at number one in four formats simultaneously. And, while perhaps they band needed to re-establish a more intimate relationship with their audience, the decision to play smaller venues wasn't entirely an altruistic move to "get close and play for the fans, man."

"We wanted to start over and hit some of those markets that weren't so good for us before, which is mostly, like, West Coast stuff," Henderson admits. "It's hard to break a rock band on the West Coast for whatever reason. It's easier in the Mid-west, and on the East Coast — the more rock formatted places. So, we wanted to go back and hit those smaller places, and show these people that we cared, and we loved them, and that we wanted them to see us as well. We also wanted to stay within our means as well. We didn't want to go and book a thousand-seater, or an eight thousand-seater, and sell only a thousand tickets…because that's embarrassing. (Laughs) To be honest with you, man, after September 11, tours are way down. Everyone's feeling the crunch."

Yes, well, unless, of course, you're the Stones who continue to be the top-grossing act in the world by a landslide margin….

Off the road and in the studio, different members of the band had different ideas about what they wanted out of making Away From the Sun. Vocalist Brad Arnold said at one point he wanted to make a record that made their fans forget about the first one.

"I don't necessarily agree with that," says Henderson in his slow Mississippi accent. "That was probably Brad's idea. As far as what the band wanted, I think we just wanted to make a record that our fans could listen to, because who are you kidding thinking you can write another "Kryponite?" I mean, do the math. Do you think that's going to happen? I don't think it's going to happen, but we had to do the best that we could. How can you come up with another "Kryptonite" when you had a record as big as the first one? How can you do it again?"

Was that the aim of this record?

"No, no, no. We knew as a band that this band had to go in a solid direction, and if we wrote a record exactly like the first one, what direction is the band going in? It's not going in any direction. We had to choose a path. And, we had to go up, we had to down, we had to go sideways, but we knew one thing: We weren't going to be able to force another "Kryptonite," because "Kryptonite" was one of those songs that just happens, you understand? It was totally a magical experience, and it just came out. We knew that had to happen again if we were going to do it again. We also knew what the chances of that happening again were. We just wrote a few songs, man, and waited to see what happened. I personally think the songs on (Away Form the Sun) are better, and there may not be another "Kryptonite" on it, but oh, well. There's still some good songs, and I don't have anything to be ashamed of — the songwriting's more mature. The songs definitely took a different direction this time. You weren't hard rockin' then (listening) to a ballad. There are some mid-tempo songs. We paid more attention to the overall recording quality. We paid more attention to the overall songwriting this time. Instead of letting the producer say, 'Hey, blah, blah, blah,' we wanted to have more of a hand in it."

The group has much invested in the new album, and there is the requisite pressure to live up to the success of the first record, but the band is fielding some harsh criticism on this new effort.

The disc has been panned in many reviews. And despite the bad reviews the new single "When I'm Gone" is getting airplay, and sales are fairly brisk.

"Well, it takes a lot more to create than it does to criticize," Henderson philosophizes. "So, as far as what the critics say, I could really care less because they said the same thing about the first record; they said it sucked. You know what I mean?"

His frustration becomes more and more palpable as he goes on. "They didn't get onboard until it sold some records, and then they were, like, 'Oh, well, we were wrong.' Then they started saying it was a great record, you know, forget those guys. They don't know what music is. They sit around and listen to all kinds of stupid stuff, and say it's great music. Critics love bands who don't sell. They hate bands who do sell. That's the way I look at it. Look at the bands that critics love. They have a handful of fans. They are Critics bands, There is a distinct difference. We've never had a good review on anything, so I don't put any stock in that."

Obviously the wounds sting, but this band could be developing the thick skin of a rhinoceros. They may well have to, but in the end it's their fans that will always love them. Just don't count on the critics to follow suit.