11 FACTS ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM "THEM VS. YOU VS. ME"
FACT 1 Re-defining Insanity
The five members of Finger Eleven collectively wrote/recorded over 100 songs during the process of making their fourth Wind-up release Them vs. You vs. Me. These compositions are of varying styles and colors, ranging from rock to country to dance to funk to old 60's songs. Many of these were written by exchanging files over the internet wherein one person would track a home recording, send it off into cyber space, and then someone else would build on it and send it on down the line. Many of the final cuts on the album were demo-ed and re-recorded at least four times over a period of one and a half years, undergoing massive changes each time.
FACT 2 “Old” songs are the new “new” songs
The track “Sense of a Spark” was originally written during the same session as “One Thing” (from the band’s self-titled third Wind-up release). Finger Eleven always viewed the material as a strong enough idea to keep around, and finally found the right arrangement for it to see the light of day with this offering.
FACT 3 Sounds heard on Them vs. You vs. Me were amassed through recording in various locations all over Canada and while on the road Many of the sounds appearing on the record were recorded during the demo process in locations as diverse as the infamous "Castle," a lodge in Northern Canada and at their homes. Anecdotally, the “Window Song” demo was tracked on the back of a tour bus during the course of an evening and most of the recording was preserved for the album (with the engineer removing some of the hum from the bus engine).
FACT 4 Mixing it up
Beyond the obvious guitars and drums on the album, the listener will hear assorted keyboards, xylophones, a lap steel, violin, banjo and other instruments added to the mix.
FACT 5 Under the broken microscope Them vs. You vs. Me was recorded faster then any other Finger Eleven album, as the band spent less then three months in the studio. Yet, the lead single “Paralyzer” is the result of the longest period ever spent on a single song in the studio (two weeks).
FACT 6 SKYPE – Reach us any time The band utilized the SKYPE program while in the studio where any fan could dial through and reach them directly. The queries varied from nervous fans asking when Finger Eleven were coming to their town next, to an hour long conversation about quantum computing. The most memorable of them all is recounted as when a few band members who had been burning the midnight oil decided to call one of the numbers back at 5:30 in the morning. The gentleman who had left the message was woken out of a dead sleep as the protagonists asked where their socks were while in a fit of laughter. The conversation was less than eloquent, but the next morning a message
was waiting for them from the same guy thanking them for waking him up. His alarm had failed to go off and if it hadn't been for Finger Eleven calling he would have been late for work.
FACT 7 Finger Eleven Support the Gaming Industry Whether it is console games which include Guitar Hero, or multi-player PC games such as Warcraft, the band spends a lot of their free time committed to bettering both themselves and their imaginary characters.
FACT 8 U.S. Television has been very good to Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven is never out of their element when visiting television green rooms in the U.S. They launched Them vs. You vs. Me with a performance of “Paralyzer” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This was the second appearance for the quintet on that legendary stage, while they have also been welcomed by Jimmy Kimmel, Regis & Kelly and many others.
FACT 9 The Videos from Them vs. You vs. Me:
While filming “Paralyzer,” Finger Eleven shot the performance footage on the rooftop of a building in downtown Los Angeles. The forty trained dancers featured were filmed swarming the fake streets of the Paramount back lot. For “Falling On,” the band returned to Los Angeles, and re-cast some of the sexier dancers from the “Paralyzer” shoot where they spent the day shooting in a huge, white soundstage. As a departure, there is a recently created clip for “Them vs. You vs. Me” shot by guitarist James Black while on the road over the past several months. He used a worklight, “borrowed” light gels, a black
sheet, a tripod, a laptop and a video camera. The band members performed in dressing rooms, hotel rooms and in the back of the tour bus. It was edited in the front lounge of the bus, and the additional animation was provided by childhood friend and animator Paul Watling.
FACT 10
Finger Eleven recently released a recording of the John Lennon song “Look At Me” as part of an Amnesty International project that features various artists all covering Lennon classics. The song was recorded at The Lodge while the band was writing the current release.
FACT 11 LOST: TRAILER, WHITE. LAST SEEN: CHICAGO PARKING LOT. ANSWERS TO “OL ‘HAULEY”
Finger Eleven’s trailer was stolen half-way through the session. If you have it, give them a call. They’d like it back, please.