Finger Eleven

Finger Eleven

Finger Eleven is a rock band that formed in Burlington, Ont, in 1989 under the name Rainbow Butt Monkeys with Scott Anderson (vocals), James Black (guitar), Rick Jackett (guitar), Sean Anderson (bass) and Rob Gobberman (drums). Rich Beddoe replaced Gobberman in 1998. The group released its Letters from Chutney debut through Mercury Records in 1995 and enjoyed some domestic success with its blend of funk and hard rock sounds.

The band changed its name to Finger Eleven for 1997's Tip, which was produced by Toronto's Arnold Lanni (OUR LADY PEACE, SIMPLE PLAN) and featured a more straight-ahead heavy rock sound. The album was re-released internationally in 1998 by Wind-up Records, which remains the band's label. The Lanni-produced The Greyest of Blue Skies followed in 2000 and included the singles "First Time," "Drag You Down" and "Bones + Joints." It was certified gold for selling more than 50 000 copies in Canada. A self-titled 2003 album pushed the band further into the mainstream, especially in the United States, on the strength of the single "One Thing." The record was certified platinum in Canada (sales of more than 100 000)and gold south of the border and allowed the group to tour internationally for a couple of years. Finger Eleven's next album, Them vs. You vs. Me, didn't arrive until March 2007, but chart-topping lead single "Paralyzer" quickly became the band's biggest hit ever. "Falling On" and "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague" followed as singles. The album was certified gold in the United States and platinum in Canada and won the 2008 JUNO AWARD for Rock Album of the Year. A 2-disc DVD set titled Us vs. Them vs. Now and featuring previously unseen concert footage, B-sides, music videos, interviews and video journals was released in 2007.