One-on-One with 3 Doors Down’s Justin Biltonen
I recently sat down with Justin Biltonen of 3 Doors Down to discuss his passion for Southwest jewelry, the changing music industry, the resurgence of late ’90s rock, and some of his favorite memories with the band.
GREG: How did you get into the jewelry business, and why Southwest jewelry?
JUSTIN: “Where I grew up was with the Cherokee — the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina. And when we were little, we’d go out to the reservation all the time and collect Southwest jewelry. It was in every shop because it was that blanket Western-style stuff, even though we were in North Carolina. I just collected that kind of stuff since I was a kid.
And then, once I joined 3 Doors Down and we started touring out West all the time, I was collecting more of it and finding bigger, better pieces. I just had a passion for it.
In 2020, when everything shut down, I was like, ‘I wonder if I can figure this out.’ So, I started doing some research. I thought I needed a kiln, furnaces, and all this big equipment, but I figured out you could do it with a little torch and some solder. You really don’t need that much stuff.
So, I got on Amazon and ordered a couple of things.
One of my best friends — his name’s Justin too — lives in Azle, Texas. He’s got a company called Rockin’ Out, and he’s been doing silversmithing for probably 30 years. He’s a master engraver. He can do guns, he can do everything.
I remember sending him a picture of two pieces of silver that I got to stick together, and he said, ‘I need help in the shop. Come on down.’
So, I went down to Azle, Texas, and sat in his shop for about a week. He put me on the cab machine, so I was cutting turquoise, and he showed me how he liked to do soldering because everybody’s got a little different way of doing it. He also showed me finishing techniques and all the different kinds of stuff I needed to know.
Then he loaded me down with a bunch of old equipment, sent me back to Nashville, and I just kind of ran with it.”
GREG: Your brothers in 3 Doors Down — Greg, Chris, and Chet — all have their own successful businesses off stage as well. Was there a pivot point for you that got you to head down another path off stage?
JUSTIN: “The percentage of people that can just do one thing for their whole career and make a lot of money at it is probably less than one percent in the music business.
You have to invest in other things. You have to invest in yourself.
At the end of the day, you can jump in this band or that band and hope for the best, but I think all of us wanted something that was ours — something where you don’t have to worry about what the economy is doing, what band members are doing, or what we’re being told we can and can’t do.
Like in 2020, I think that was the first big eye-opening thing for everybody.
A lot of my friends — not just in 3 Doors Down, but across the music business — kind of found other stuff. There’s always that passion for music and writing and entertaining, but that was the first time I really saw that it could all go away for a very long time.
Not because you’re not good at it or because you’ve got problems, but because somebody somewhere can shut it down completely.
I think it scared a lot of folks. It scared me. And it made you want to invest in something that somebody couldn’t easily take away.”
GREG: I’m sure you see the revival of late ’90s and early 2000s music. What are your thoughts about that?
JUSTIN: “The music business kind of moves in a circle.
You see it in country music too. Over the past couple of years, everybody’s really been all about ’90s and ’80s country again. I think a lot of it is a new generation finding the songs their parents — or even grandparents — listened to and realizing, ‘Wow, this is good.’
I also think there are times where there’s a little bit of a void in music.
Not to be disparaging toward rock bands now, because there are a lot of great rock bands coming out, but I think there’ll be these dry spots where there aren’t these big, heavy-hitting superstars.
Then the bands we used to listen to are still jamming, or they see this renaissance happening, decide to put their problems aside, get back on the road, and it becomes huge for them.
You see points in history where that kind of thing happens in music, and I think it’s great.
People are going back and finding these songs and realizing they’re great songs.
Then they go see the shows, and a lot of these bands came out during a time when they didn’t have a million computers on stage playing half the music for them. They’re up there as an actual rock band. It’s just their buddies up there playing together, and it’s real.
I think people are looking more for that now — even younger people — especially with AI and all this kind of stuff coming out where you can totally make an AI song with an AI singer and nothing about it is real.
I think a lot of people are looking for authenticity and real human connection.
Especially younger people — it’s crazy to them. They’re like, ‘This is how people used to listen to music? Just people on stage playing guitars?’
It’s undeniably magnetic. You want to see it. You want to be part of it.
And nostalgia is powerful.”
GREG: How would you describe your personality, especially as it relates to your time with 3 Doors Down?
JUSTIN: “I’m kind of the quiet one. I try to listen and learn from every single person I come in contact with, whether it’s something good or bad. Learn a lesson from them.
There’s a lot of wisdom running around with those guys.
I was the youngest, so I listened to everybody when they had something to say about performance, where we were in life, what was going on with the band, business, things that were out of our control, or things we were planning on doing.
I think I had the humility to listen and not think I was right all the time.
And I think that’s super important in pretty much any business.
Be confident in what you have, but also have the humility to listen and learn.”
GREG: Is there a favorite song or two you liked to play with 3 Doors Down?
JUSTIN: “I always loved ‘Be Like That.’ The words just hit home a little bit — well, a little bit a lot.
And then I loved ‘When I’m Gone.’ It was always such a fun song to play.
I mean, it was a great song anyway — great lyrics — but it was really that one point in the show, and we always did it at the end, where everything came together.
We always paid tribute to the military, first responders, and all that kind of stuff, which was awesome.
But it was also that one moment where everybody on stage came together. Everybody’s rocking out and doing their thing in different parts of the stage, but then we’d all come together in that one moment, and it was special.
I think the fans got excited because they knew it was about to happen.
There’d be different parts where the three guitar players would be together, and then we’d all come together around the drums or something.
It was that one song that just brought everybody together in that moment, and it was special.”
I’d like to thank Justin for taking the time to chop it up with me at RCA Studios in Nashville. Look for more from Justin in our upcoming documentary called, Unbreakable, featuring Chet Roberts and 3 Doors Down that’s expected to be released later this summer. He talks candidly about Chet and his brothers in the band, Brad’s passing, and speculation about a tribute show or reunion. Stay tuned!
I admire your humility. It says a lot about who you are as a person. Best of luck with your jewelry. The music you played in 3DD will always bring me comfort.
💯❤️🔥