There is an opinion among fans of heavy music that some of the brightest and best representatives of guitar music at all times were from Canada. Of course, there will be opponents of this theory, defending the opinion of the superiority of German or American musicians. But it was Canadians who enjoyed great popularity in the post-Soviet space. The Finger Eleven team is a prime example of this.
Creation of the Finger Eleven group
It all started in 1994 in the small town of Burlington, which is located near Toronto. Recently graduated from Sean High School, Skott Anderson and dreaming of conquering the music scene invited friends (Rick Jackett, James Black and Rob Gomermann) to form a band. The resulting group was named the Rainbow Butt Monkeys and began rehearsals.
The guys gave their first concerts in local pubs. Very quickly, talented teenagers were noticed by the producers of the Mercury Records label. Working with professionals quickly taught the guys studio skills. Then came their debut work Letters from Chutney. Songs from the album became hits on radio and television.
In 1997, the musicians wanted to change something in their lives. They decided to get a little more serious, admitting that the first experience, although successful, was not ideal. Remembering the words of one of the previously composed songs, Scott suggested changing the band's name to Finger Eleven, which was accepted unanimously. In the same year, the band released their second studio album, Tip, released under the label Mercury / Polydor Records.
First successes
A year later, the drummer changed in the band. The new drummer was Richard Beddo, who instantly joined the band. In support of the released album, the band toured America, changing the label to Wind-up Records, a subsidiary of the famous Sony company. The musicians on the tour were accompanied by bands such as The Killjoys, I Mother Earth, Fuel and Creed. The number of fans of the group's work was estimated in the millions.
A year later, producer Arnold Lenny began to push for a new album. The guys literally settled in the studio for several months. The result of long work was the album The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000), which instantly sold out in thousands of copies. The track Suffocate from this disc became the official soundtrack for the film "Scream 3".
In early 2001, the team went on another tour. The group was accompanied at various times by bands: Cold, Clutch, Unified Theory and Blinker the Star. The popularity of the guys was proven by fans who recognized the musicians on the street and asked for autographs and photo shoots.
The Rise of Finger Eleven's Popularity
The team worked hard on the next studio album. The musicians worked out each track to perfection. The result of a year and a half of work was 30 compositions, of which only a few had to be chosen. A good move at that time was the publication of a phone number that every "fan" could call. Fans reacted with recognition to such an undertaking of the team.
A landmark event was the acquaintance with producer Johnny K, who works with the Disturbed team. Professionals quickly agreed. As a result of their joint work in 2003, the band's third studio album, Finger Eleven, was released. At the same time, the guys recorded the song Sad Exchange, which became the soundtrack to the Hollywood blockbuster Daredevil.
According to the established tradition, after the release of the album, the band went on tour. This time the group was to perform with such bands as Evanesence, Cold and Creed. In the spring of 2004, the composition Slow Chemical became the soundtrack to the action movie The Punisher. In the same year, the clip One Thing won the best according to the Much Music Video Awards.
After a two-year break, spent on endless tours of Europe and America, the team started working on a new disc. The album Themvs became the result of creative refinements. Youvs. Me, which was released on December 4, 2007. Fans enthusiastically greeted the new work of the musicians. The tracks hit the charts of radio stations, the clips gained views on all possible channels.
The team was able to start creating the album only three years later. All this time, the guys carefully collected and processed the material to please the "fans" around the world. In 2010, the studio recording Life Turns Electric was released. The producers did not like the working title of the album Living in a Dream and had to come up with a new one.
The year 2012 was marked in the band's history with a free big concert held as part of the Hard Rock's Old Falls Street festival. This event brought together rock bands of different styles and trends to please fans. Proceeds from the concert were donated to charitable causes. The festival of guitar music was organized by the famous company Hard Rock Cafe.
The Finger Eleven team today
The latest studio work is Five Crooked Lines, which the musicians recorded on July 31, 2015. Since that time, the group has been actively touring, recording videos, communicating with "fans" and spending time for their own pleasure. Their tracks can often be heard in popular computer games, for which the guys spend hours free from music.
Like many rockers, the band has many funny and ridiculous stories. During the recording of one of the albums, the band's branded bus was stolen from the parking lot next to the studio where the musicians worked. The thieves were found, but the sediment remained, even though the guys recall this episode of their boring life with laughter.
