Burning Rubber Up the Charts with FUEL

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Burning Rubber Up the Charts with FUEL

By Alan Sculley

Having scored four radio singles off their million-selling  major

label  debut CD, "Sunburn," the members of Fuel knew it would be important

to come out strong with their second CD and prove that the response to the

first was no fluke.

The song both band & label, 550/Epic, chose for the all-important first

single was "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)."  But singer Brett Scallions says he

and his bandmates were plenty nervous about whether this was the right

choice.

 "Back when we were mixing the record out in Burbank and stuff, we were

trying to decide what the first single would be," Scallions said. "We were

kind of nervous about releasing 'Hemorrhage' first because it didn't really

seem to jell with what was going on in music today. So we wondered if

people would accept it, or is it going to just fall off the face and no

one's going to be able to relate to it? Or is it going to be something that

people are just going to take like a breath of fresh air because there's

nothing else out there like it really?"

 "There was no middle ground and it seemed like it was either going to be a

total hit or a total miss."

 "Hemorrhage" ended up falling emphatically into the former category. Having

spent 12 weeks (and counting) atop "Billboard" magazine's rock chart, it

has become Fuel's most popular single to date and propelled the second CD,

"Something Like Human," past 500,000 in sales in just the first eight weeks

following the CD's Sept. 19 release.

 Clearly Scallions and his bandmates, Carl Bell (guitar), Jeff Abercrombie

(bass) and Kevin Miller (drums) -- can breathe a bit easier now that

"Something Like Human" seems certain to surpass the success of "Sunburn."

 "I would definitely say there was some pressure there," Scallions said,

acknowledging that Fuel knew the stakes had been raised by the popularity

of the first CD. "The sophomore slump, that's really hurt some people in

the

past with their albums and stuff. Luckily this time around we didn't have

to compete with a record that had sold 10 million copies. That sophomore

slump wasn't as big as it has been for some artists. At the same time, we

did

accomplish something on the 'Sunburn' album and there was a great deal of

pressure there to have to top that."

" You don't want to write the same record twice, and something we've always

prided ourselves on is the diversity of the band. We try to make each song

its own entity, and then we try to take those songs and put them together

as a whole. I always hate those records where every song sounds the same. I

think that's one thing we might have that's an upper hand on some bands

that are out there today."

Fuel on stage at the Saginaw Civic Center Feb 3rd, 2000.  Photo's by Kay McEntee

"Something Like Human" does, in fact, expand a few stylistic boundaries for

the band. To be sure, it includes its share of songs that recall the brisk

yet melodic guitar rock sound of "Sunburn." New songs such as "Empty

Spaces," "Last Time" and "Prove" should please fans who were drawn to Fuel

by rocking first album radio hits like "Jesus or a Gun" and "Bittersweet."

"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)," with its sound shifting between balladry and

sturdy rock, meanwhile, follows in the tradition of the "Sunburn" hit

"Shimmer." But other songs offer subtle shifts. "Scar," brings a bit of

Southern boogie into the Fuel sound. The mid-tempo tune, "Slow," augments

the band's sound with acoustic instrumentation and some processed rhythms,

while "Solace," uses

touches of strings to add an epic feel to its big-bodied sound.

 The surge of popularity that's currently surrounding Fuel stands as the

latest high point for a band that has been taking steady forward steps

throughout their career.

After forming in the small town of Kenton, Tennessee, the band realized

they needed to shift to a bigger market to make good on any hopes of

snagging a record deal.

 The city they chose, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, might not seem like the most

obvious place to launch a career, but that's where Fuel moved in 1995.

 "First off, we were poor musicians and the cost of living there was fairly

reasonable for us," Scallions said, explaining the choice. "Then there are

a lot of major cities surrounding it within driving distance, so it was a

nice,  convenient place. Plus they had great radio stations there. And the

people who live in the area are big fans of rock and roll and they showed

that they were willing to support us. So it was a good place for us to

settle down."

 The band quickly secured management, released an independent CD,

"Porcelain," in 1996 and began playing shows in Philadelphia, New Jersey

and other markets within driving distance. They also worked area radio

stations, which eventually paid off when an early version of "Shimmer"

began getting local airplay.

That was enough to attract the interest of several record labels, and by

1998, Fuel had signed to 550 Records, part of the major label Epic.

The band remains proud of "Sunburn," but Scallions said he and his

bandmates were better prepared when it came time to begin work on

"Something Like Human."

 "The first record, it was a growing experience for us," Scallions said.

"It was a learning curve for us. We were going into a major studio for the

first time and working with a producer for the first time and trying to

figure out how the whole mechanics of the thing worked. So I think the

first record was

good and everything. I think we established ourselves well with that first

record. But you know, taking in everything we've learned out of the process

of making a record, with that first time through, and we incorporated that

into the making of the 'Something Like Human' record. I think also we grew

as a band and we matured as a band, not only as individuals, but as a band

and with the music as well."

As with the first CD, Bell once again took the lead as the group's primary

songwriter. He also took a larger role in the studio, sharing production

duties with Ben Grosse.

"Carl does a lot for this band," Scallions said. "In the studio, he really

shined on this record and when it came to finding all kinds of

quirky sounds and bringing out new ideas while we were in the studio. I

feel he deserves to get a co-production slot, because he really worked on

this."

As a writer, though, Bell does not demand total control over the creative

process. Most songs may start with him, Scallion said, but the other band

members are always involved in the process.

 "There are four members in the band and each member in this band has their

own  personality," Scallions said. "We all try to respect each other on

that. There's never one person who wants it to be like this and that's the

way it's going to be. The four of us work together and try to sort it all

out together."

"The bottom line is I feel in the studio we don't have any egos of 'I want

my idea to be used here and that's that,'" Scallions said. "It's let's make

these songs the best they can be and whoever's got the best idea, let's use

it."

 Bell's role does mean, however, that Fuel is the rare band whose lead

singer is not the primary lyricist. Scallions, though, said this doesn't

cause any problems when it comes to involving himself emotionally in the

songs.

"It's one of those things where Carl and I, we don't really talk about

lyrics a lot," Scallions said. "I don't really care to know what he's

talking about or what he's feeling on the songs that he writes. And then I

just take it and interpret it for myself.  I can bring it in (to the band).

I think that's good, too, in a way that we don't really talk about what a

lot of our songs are about to the public, either, because I think it's most

fun for the listeners to be able to listen to the songs and get their own

interpretations. I think they can bring it in a little closer to their

hearts as well."

This interview with Fuel is the first contribution from the latest addition

to the 'Review' stable of writers, and was conducted days prior to their

February 3rd appearance at the Saginaw Civic Center.

Alan Sculley is a veteran music writer with 10 year's experience in the

field. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Illinois

University in Carbondale, and served as an editor and reporter for the

Suburban Journal Newspaper chain in St. Louis before beginning a free-lance

career in 1988. He now writes music features and reviews for more than 60

publications nationwide.

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