"Billboard and Fuel's Carl Bell go way back, even though 'Shimmer' is the first song by the Harrisburg, PA band that caught the attention of the charts."

"'My brother was a real chartaholic,' says the guitarist and principal songwriter. 'He used to listen to the countdown every Sunday religiously and write down the charts in is notebook. He could talk for hours on who moved up that week, who slipped, and the artist's chart history. Needless to say, I've known Billboard for a long time.'"

"The early acquaintance still didn't prepare him for the day he actually saw the song he'd written appear on Modern Rock Tracks (it's No. 13 this issue). 'You can imagine how exciting it was to see my own band in there after hearing my brother obsess about it all my life. We've been working toward this our whole life in Fuel and other doomed bands.'"

"In the wake of radio success, Bell has had time to ponder why the aching tune about the transient nature of life and love, summed up poignantly by the line 'All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade,' has caught on. 'Everything in life is temporary, and that isn't a very easy lesson to learn for any of us humans,' he says. 'I broached the subject personally when a friend I had a relationship with called me out ot the blue. It was a weird conversation.'"

"But not so weird that the doomed feeling couldn't be understood by a universal audience. Bell says another trick is the music--catchy hook, the slow start and fast-paced finale, and charged guitars. 'I just followed the model of the music I grew up on, which was very melodic and hook-ridden. Great songs have hooky melodies, engaging lyrics, and something that stays with you after the song ends.'"

"He also admits that the act's to-the-point name helps. 'We went short and concise because strange names always get screwed up on radio and tour posters,' he says. 'But what do we know? Def Leppard had a huge career and a silly tag.'"