FINGER ELEVEN

FINGER ELEVEN BIO 2025
by Bryan Reesman

After 30 years, Finger Eleven are experiencing a vibrant, full circle moment. The Juno Award-winning band criss-crossed America again last summer with long-time labelmates Creed, revisiting the Summer of ‘99. “The tour itself was just a f**king rocket ship every night,” guitarist Rick Jackett declares. “Every night it was packed, and the crowds were excited to be there. People were just smiling the whole time – it was contagious. We forgot we had so many friends in America. That was a cool feeling.”

That infectious, invigorating energy helped Finger Eleven enthusiastically complete their first new studio album in a decade, Last Night On Earth, which is primed for a late 2025 release. The high-octane “Adrenaline” kickstarted things last year, and the next single, “Blue Sky Mystery” featuring Richard Patrick from Filter, will drop on August 1st. After rocking a busy festival season this summer, Finger Eleven will hit the US with Alien Ant Farm for a flurry of concerts leading up to the new album’s release. This will be followed by their biggest Canadian tour ever, with fellow native sons Headstones and Tea Party joining them.

Finger Eleven have always amalgamated their musical influences from the 1960s forward into their rock mix. They acknowledge that Phil Collins and Genesis were a big melodic influence on Last Night On Earth. And the new tunes explore time-honored Finger Eleven concepts with fresh twists. “Adrenaline” is a rousing, intense anthem about pushing forward against adversity. “Blue Sky Mystery” is another hard-hitting rocker about being beguiled by something just out of reach. “The Mountain” rides musical peaks and valleys in its quest to chase the song, about the creative process expressed in a fantasy setting. Then there is the acoustic number “Last Night On Earth” which tackles relationship turmoil. It’s the most personal new track for frontman Scott Anderson.

The band’s story began during high school. Founding members Scott and Sean Anderson (vocals and bass), and guitarists James Black and Rick Jackett formed Rainbow Butt Monkeys with original drummer Rob Gommerman. With their blend of ‘90s alt and funk-rock, the Canadian upstarts signed to Mercury and released Letters From Chutney in 1995. But the quintet soon shifted direction and took the more serious Finger Eleven name. They transitioned into a post-grunge and nu-metal influenced phase with Tip (1997) and The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000).

Their mainstream breakthrough came with their self-titled third album. Produced by Johnny K (Disturbed, 3 Doors Down), this 2003 release and its acoustic ballad “One Thing” showcased a new side of the band and helped push album sales higher. They have two gold albums in the US and two gold and two platinum albums in Canada.

Finger Eleven has since embraced diversity over conformity. Rather than copy their ballad success, they delivered the funky, swaggering hit “Paralyzer” on 2007’s Them Vs. You Vs. Me. From then on, they got heavy with tracks like “Don’t Look Down” and “Gods of Speed,” mellowed with waltzing acoustic numbers like “Change The World” and “Love’s What You Left Me With,” then grooved it up on “Living In A Dream”. Their Greatest Hits album in 2023 included a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome To The Machine” and a driving stomper called “Together Right” which spent an amazing five weeks at #1 on Canadian radio.

Times have changed since the band’s last studio album, Five Crooked Lines – streaming is now ubiquitous, social media is a necessity, and Finger Eleven’s loyal fanbase has grown internationally. All the band members have kids. This change and personal growth have fueled their artistic renewal.

This is Steve Molella’s first album with Finger Eleven, and he’s proved his mettle behind the drum kit and behind the boards as an engineer and producer. Having played with the quintet for a decade, he knows their personalities well and is impressed with their musical camaraderie and willingness to put the group before the self. Steve jokes that he is the only drummer he knows who asks to be turned down in the mix.

Finger Eleven is now propelled by a fresh musical vigor. “As we were making Last Night On Earth, there was this feeling that we were making a big rock record,” Rick recalls. “We had done that early in our career, and then we veered away from it. But it was time to go back and embrace that bigness of the sound. Even the soft songs sound big.”