BY EVAN HENERSON >STAFF WRITER

With Thomas' star on the rise and the other band members working on their own material, there seemed little reason for a reunion beyond the cha-ching potential of a greatest-hits album.

But fate decreed otherwise. The band re-formed and reconfigured, releasing a two-disc CD that was a greatest-hits and new-material hybrid. Former drummer Doucette took over as guitarist and - where previous Matchbox albums primarily showcased Thomas' writing - on "Exile," all of the band members pitched in creatively.

The band also split with its longtime producer Matt Serletic and partnered with frequent U2 producer Steve Lillywhite for the new tracks.

The first single, the aptly titled "How Far We've Come," reached Billboard Adult Top 40's top 10 in three weeks. "Exile's" second disc is a tour through 11 of the band's hits, including "Push," "3 A.M.," "Unwell" and "Bright Lights."

"The best thing about the new stuff - and people wouldn't know this unless they know all of us really well - is that I really hear what everyone in the band brought to each song," says Doucette. "We went from being primarily a vehicle for Rob's songwriting to all of us writing."

Thomas points to the r&b ballad "I Can't Let You Go" as another indication that Matchbox Twenty is heading in a good direction creatively.

"You try to step outside yourself, get lost in the song and do what the song needs," says Thomas. "We've always been a band, I hope, that hasn't been driven by the identity of how we appear to other people. Each time we put out a song, we're trying to stay true to the song. If it sounds like a country pop song, we do it as a country pop song."

The band members now say there will be a follow-up studio album for Matchbox Twenty, with Thomas finding ways to balance in his solo career. "I'd be more put off if I didn't think I could put out a solo record," Thomas says.

"There's a general kind of peace with who we are now," he continues. "When we're out there, we're genuinely having a good time together. I think that's what the break was kind of all about, and now I think we just appreciate it, letting each other do what we need to do and be what we need to be."

For the current tour - which concludes Tuesday in Las Vegas - Matchbox Twenty is joined by opening acts Alanis Morissette and the New Orleans-based band Mutemath.

Following each gig, the band has been selling USB wristbands with an MP3 recording of the just-performed concert. The souvenir costs $35.

The band borrowed that practice from Willie Nelson. Initially, their tour manager worried about putting off fans by selling a recording of an "off-night" concert, but band members say that fans owning a "warts and all" concert is cool by them.

"Now we have the possibility for the future of having every show on our Web site at the end of the tour," says Thomas. "Fans can go through and pick any song from any show and maybe make their own greatest-hits live CD."

"If we had a horrible time, that's what happened that night," adds Doucette. "That's the beauty of doing something live. If someone hit a really bad note, that's part of the live experience. That's what they got."

Evan Henerson (818) 713-3651

evan.henerson@dailynews.com

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MATCHBOX TWENTY WITH ALANIS MORISSETTE, MUTEMATH

>Where: Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., L.A.

>When: 7 p.m. Sunday.

>How much: $35 to $69. (213) 365-3500, www.ticketmaster.com.