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 comprised of
Scott Anderson (vocals),
Sean Anderson (bass),
Rob Gommerman (drums), 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
Much Music,
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.