A FEW THINGS ABOUT "ONE THING"
FINGER ELEVEN'S SCOTT ANDERSON TELLS ALL
by Don Sill
Finger Eleven is on the rise! Their latest single, 'One Thing' is fast becoming a hit for the Canada based rockers as the tune is in heavy rotation on rock radio nation wide. "It's kinda great because it's getting this really amazing reaction from a whole lot of people," raves singer/songwriter, Scott Anderson about the recent flurry of success the band has been receiving through the single. "This moment has been building up, it's been two years in the making. You always hope that the songs you create with your buddies are songs that other people will dig and this one seems to really stick with people. They get this really cool look in their eye when they hear it and that's great. When you write songs you always think that's gonna happen, but it doesn't always happen."
'One Thing' is one solid track which captures a sprit and a vibe that stays with the listener long after the song finishes. An acoustic guitar flows over gentle, retrospective lyrics that touch on a somber rhythm giving Anderson a smooth platform for which to showcase the versatility of his voice. "The only thing that I really wanted to do with that song was try to be as straight as possible," he says, "I didn't want to be clever and muck up the song with some sort of cleverness. I wanted to be as direct as I could, you know.I remember trying to keep that sort of attitude in mind because Jay [Black-guitarist] came up with that riff and I knew it was something that I shouldn't screw up and if there's a sentiment there I just wanted to express it and not get it all muddy with cleverness."
To help simplify the song, Anderson was encouraged by producer Johnny K (Disturbed) to get a bit drunk when he recorded the track. In effect, Anderson barely remembers laying down the vocals in the studio. "The vocal take for 'One Thing' was done under the influence of a lot of beer," admits Anderson with a hardy laugh. "I don't remember singing a single note. I think that when you're really zoning into a situation it'll go by in a blur and I really won't remember it, just add to the fact that I was drunk and having a great time in the studio, I didn't have a chance in hell of remembering that moment. But I remember being really into it and loving it."
Burlington, Ontario's Finger Eleven, (rounded out with Rick Jackett, Sean Anderson and Rich Beddoe), have been making a name for themselves within Canada's hard rock scene since 1999. Most of the band mates have known each other since high school. Although they don't like to talk about it, two of the guys (we'll let you guess which two) didn't get along back then and there were some playground brawls. But the boys have moved on and found a new way to vent through music.
Their first album, 'Tip,' was a straight ahead rock album featuring great tunes like 'Above' and 'Awake and Dreaming' while their follow up record, 'The Greyest of Blue Skies,' dove a bit deeper into hard rock with 'First Time' and 'Drag You Down.' Utilizing guitar effects to create eerie ambient background noise for many verses followed by ear-shattering guitar riffs in the choruses, their sophomore album was different but was still Finger Eleven all the same.
Now, Finger Eleven are breaking big in the states with their latest self-titled record on Wind-Up Records, which dropped this past July. They've toured with everyone from Cold and Depswa to Ozzy and Evanesence and have made major waves at every stop. "Man, so many records that deserve to be heard are not and now ours is finally having some attention paid to it," gushed the singer. "Now, we're out on the road and we're doing what we love to do and fundamentally you really can't ask for anything more."
Anderson may not ask for more, but he doesn't plan on slowing down. With 'One Thing' on the rise, the band are prepping for the bigger road ahead. "My goals include paying the bills using rock 'n roll continuously, so I don 't have to work a 'real' job and I want to go out and make a better record than we just did, cus' if we don't then I want to quit."
