Good Charlotte comes home

Baltimore’s a stop on many musicians’ tour schedules, but for Benji and Joel Madden, it’s a destination.

The brothers Madden, founders and frontmen of the rock band Good Charlotte, may have grown up in Waldorf but have adopted the entire Baltimore area as their own.

“We are always glad to be home,” said Benji Madden. “We have friends and family here; we have a place in Maryland. It’s good to be back.”

What a year it’s been for the band releasing its fourth album “Good Morning Revival,” to acclaim, touring in support of Justin Timberlake on a portion of his FutureSex/LoveShow tour — and of course becoming favorite targets of paparazzi.

As most fans know, Joel Madden and his girlfriend Nicole Richie welcomed a daughter in January. Benji Madden soon began dating Richie’s best friend Paris Hilton. Much to the down-to-earth brothers’ chagrin, rampant media interest followed.

“I’m not going to lie to you; it’s hard sometimes,” said Benji. “There are definitely times we don’t stay focused on the music … but it’s our nature to go back to the music; that’s all we know how to do.”

Since the last album’s release the band has entered a new “adult” phase with more sophisticated playing and songwriting, Benji said.

“It is exciting because every response we get with every record, is a learning experience,” he said. “We were really young when we started and we figured it out as we went along, how we want to say things, express ourselves, become more articulate.”

As he talks about the past eight years, Benji speaks with a bit of wonder about playing in both large arenas and small clubs (“It’s great because you can even talk to people between songs’), traveling the world, and meeting thousands of people.

The duo has taken a page from U2 frontman Bono and delved into charitable works; details of work with UNICEF will be forthcoming, Benji said.

“When I was growing up we went through many hardships; I remember them very clearly,” said Benji. “We’ve spent eight years building the band and we want to take the next eight years and try to help people. That’s more rewarding … than anything big check or chart number.”

Click here to listen to Good Charlotte’s latest release, “Where Would We Be Now”.