The members of alternative metal outfit Finger Eleven grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and came together in high school as a funk-styled band named Rainbow Butt Monkeys. Originally comprising vocalist Scott Anderson, bassist Sean Anderson, drummer Rob Gommerman, and James Black and Rick Jackett on guitars, they won a rock band search contest on local radio and used the prize money to record their first album, 1995’s Letters from Chutney. Gommerman left the band soon after, making way for drummer Rich Beddoe. Now named Finger Eleven, the quintet released Tip on Mercury Records in Canada, which marked the band’s turn to a heavier sound. It was re-released by the New York City-based label Wind-Up Records in September 1998. The album made minor waves on MuchMusic, videos for “Above” and “Tip” increasing their profile at home, but it would still be several years before U.S. audiences really paid attention to the band. The Greyest of Blue Skies appeared in the summer of 2000, followed three years later by Finger Eleven’s self-titled third album. The latter record eventually went gold, driven by the success of their brooding Top 40 hit “One Thing.” After various rounds of touring, the guys got to work collectively writing their next album for Wind-Up. March 2007’s Them vs. You vs. Me featured much more varied instrumentation and influences — including dance, funk, and country — than just the chugging metallic guitars of Finger Eleven’s past efforts. The band subsequently hit the road in support with U.S. shows alongside Evanescence and Chevelle. Back home in Canada, Them vs. You vs. Me wound up winning the Juno for Rock Album of the Year in 2008, raising expectations for the band’s next album, the Juno Award-nominated Life Turns Electric, which appeared in the fall of 2010. Five Crooked Lines, the band’s seventh studio long-player, was released in 2015 and preceded by the single “Wolves and Doors.”
“Together Right” is the advance single from their upcoming Greatest Hits. Craft Recordings celebrates the enduring career of FINGER ELEVEN with the band’s first collection of hit singles. Spanning over two decades, the Greatest Hits album highlights the group’s diverse range with fan favorites, including multi-platinum hit “Paralyzer” and Juno-nominated “One Thing”, plus chart toppers like “Falling On” and “Living In A Dream”. As a bonus, the 12-track set also offers a previously unreleased cover of PINK FLOYD’s “Welcome To The Machine” (a longtime live staple) as well as the band’s first new single in more than seven years, “Together Right”. The single is available to stream/download today.
“‘Together Right’ is about unity,” explains frontman Scott Anderson. “It’s about the bonds between people and how far that bond can extend before it’s broken. The song has an optimistic-sounding chorus but it’s really a desperate plea from one party to another asking please stick around, let’s go down with this ship together.” Recorded in Toronto last year with drummer/producer Steve Molella, the song packs a punch with anthemic guitar-driven hooks and high-energy handclaps.
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays Finger Eleven. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/
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