After taking some time apart -- to have babies, start families, launch a solo career and just spread their wings outside of the band they have all been in for 23 whole years -- the group that captured the world's attention with a unique blend of ska/punk and rock/pop is reuniting and hitting the stage for a 55-date tour.

So early yesterday morning, the team and I hit the road to Atlantic City (in a van that only Chili Palmer could make look cool) to conduct the first interview with the whole band together in five years.

The venue was the newest (and most golden) hotel on the horizon -- the Borgata Hotel and Casino -- and before rehearsals, we caught up with the band to talk about why now is the right time for No Doubt to get back together, the upcoming tour, support act Paramore, a cameo on "Gossip Girl," the first live-TV performance since taking time off and, yes, the new album that is in the works.

Gwen was the first to arrive. Always the fashionista, she wore white jeans and a neon-green bra under a T-shirt that said "Too Much Too Young," with big square shades and a gold Stefani necklace completing the look. The boys followed soon after, and they all took their seats ready for the interview. Surprising for a band as established as No Doubt, there was no manager or publicist trying to force us into a line of questioning -- which you have to respect.

The big boss was present, though: Zuma, Gwen's 8-month-old, kept a watchful eye on things. Over the past few years, the No Doubt family has grown. All the bandmembers, with the exception of bassist Tony Kanal, have young kids, and there's no doubt that this will not only be reflected in their new material, but will also have an effect on the tour. As Gwen said, one thing she always loved about touring was that she could sleep all day after partying the night before. But now, with the kids in tow, Gwen is slowly facing the fact that she's going to have Kingston and Zuma there to wake her up each morning -- very early!

After the interview, the band took to the stage to run through a few songs. It was one of those moments that, as a fan of music, I won't be forgetting anytime soon. It was up there with the time I sat through Prince's closed-set rehearsal or even seeing Jay-Z rehearse in an empty Madison Square Garden -- this was something special.

show|1610303|