Fuel -- Self Service

from Guitar World Magazine (picture to follow) -- by Richard Bienstock

"It is not uncommon for a band to release an album independently before signing with a major label. But how many bands record, release, distribute, and promote the album themselves, selling more than 10,000 copies in the process?"

"Not many, but Fuel found a way to do just that. 'We would go into a club and set up for the show that night,' remembers lead singer/guitarist Brett Scallions, 'run soundcheck, then track a couple of songs onto two Alesis ADAT machines. After the show, we would take the tape home and mix it down.'"

"'Once the CD was finished,' adds guitarist Carl Bell, 'we just went out and pounded the pavement; we sold it out of the trunks of our cars, pushed it into record stores, and got it played on local radio. We just tried to make it all happen.'"

"The buzz created by the Porcelain EP around Fuel's adopted hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, eventually landed the band a deal with Sony's 550 Music. Now, with the release to thier major label debut, Sunburn, the rest of the world will finally get the opportunity to find out what Harrisburg has known for years -- that Fuel play high-energy rock and roll that roars with the power of a tank full of 94-octane gasoline."

"Think of them as fellow Pennsylvanians Live, but with a darker, more aggressive edge, or New York's Quicksand, but with more dynamic range. Bell and the rhythm section of Jeff Abercrombie (bass) and Kevin Miller (drums) play together like a well-oiled machine, weaving melody lines in and around each other before popping the clutch and shifting into overdrive with a barrage of crushing power-chord riffs."

"'It's great if you can get the best of both worlds - something that's heavy and aggressive, but at the same time has a catchy hook,' says Bell, teh band's main songwriter. 'Songs whose melodies stick in your head. I guess that's why I'm not the biggest fan of rap music.'"