Fuel combines muscular, precise rhythms with passionate and commanding lyrics bound by solid hooks. The four-member Central Pennsylvania band creates emotive music, reflective of an era of confusion and heightened self-awareness.
Fuel began with Carl Bell and bass player Jeff Abercrombie, who both grew up in a small rural Western Tennessee town, called Kenton in 1989. Brett Scallions, who was from a nearby town, called Brownsville, also joined. However, they knew they wanted to play all originals, so they decided to move to a larger area to get more exposure. Harrisburg, PA seemed like a logical choice. In Harrisburg, they had already started to develop a fan base and its relative proximity to New York City and other large markets allowed for greater exposure to label executives. Kevin Miller, formerly of the Armadillos, joined Fuel in December 1997 and began playing shows shortly thereafter.
Phone requests, increased airplay and sold-out gigs led to Fuel's signing with Sony 550 Records on May 6, 1997. They started recording Sunburn on July 28, 1997. The EP Hazleton was released by Sony 550 for sale in the fall. The band's major label debut LP on 550 Music, Sunburn, was produced by Steven Haigler (Local H) and mixed by Tom Lord-Alge (The Wallflowers, Dave Matthews Band). Recorded in a pastoral setting surrounded by 1,500 acres of farmland, Sunburn's 11 tracks belie its bucolic birthplace at Long View Farms in Massachusetts. Fuel's major label debut, Sunburn, was released on March 31, 1998. With Sunburn and a hit single, "Shimmer," Fuel is now poised for the next step.
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