Stereo Fuse
Total fans: 2,054
For a band whose music reaches the masses with accessible lyrics and ear-catching melodies, the story of their current line-up oddly starts with a legendary offense by the original (and unnamed) vocalist. Midway through a triumphant showcase performance in Atlanta in 2000, guitarist Jeff Quay paused to tune his guitar while the bassist toweled off and drummer Chad Jenkins quenched his thirst. The singer took that moment in time to tell a joke so offensive the band had to leave and change its name.
The joke remains unrepeated, but it did result in a singer search, which led to singer-songwriter Colin Hill, who was making his way as an acoustic performer in their hometown of Dallas, Texas. Hill’s vocal combination of seasoned rocker edginess and unedited emotional release fit perfectly with the well-crafted songs Quay and Jenkins had been seasoning.
But it was actually a cover song that put this trio on the map. A staple of Hill’s solo act was Material Issue’s “Everything.” When Quay heard Hill’s rendition, it resonated so strongly, they recorded it immediately. A radio station in Biloxi was first to champion the song, which went on to become #1 most requested across the Southeast and Midwest. Hundreds of CDs were sold, and thousands came to see them play.
Wind-Up Records (Evanescence, Creed, Seether) signed Stereo Fuse in 2002. In short time, the poignant, powerful single “Everything” became a Top 10 radio hit as well as a Top 10 most requested video, played on both MTV and VH1. It was incorporated into a national radio tribute to the 2003 space shuttle disaster. This heavy exposure catapulted Stereo Fuse into the Top 40 of the Billboard Top New Artist chart, a position it maintained for over two months early 2003. This, in turn, led to placement of their lament “Super Hero” in Jackie Chan’s move The Medallion.
In addition to 18 opening slots on Creed’s final tour (including the infamous meltdown Chicago show) that awed more than a quarter million fans, Stereo Fuse toured arenas with Our Lady Peace, and shared the stage with Avril Lavigne, Bowling for Soup, Sister Hazel, Lifehouse and Jewel. Having the foundation of their music rooted in live performance, the Stereo Fuse concert reputation precedes them across the country: the arena rockers who meet their audience with impact and intimacy.
Stereo Fuse signed to Toucan Cove Entertainment in 2005 and began work on All That Remains. Produced by 80s hair god and multi-platinum, award-winning recording artist Mark Slaughter, the record melds power chords and driving rhythms (hear “Like I Do” and “That’s Not Right”) with lyrics filled with introspection (“Pieces” and “Beautiful”) in a sound ready for modern rock charts.
The twelve-song All That Remains was released on June 6, 2006. The matches are lit, and Stereo Fuse is ready to blow.