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Biography
Infobox musical artist | | name = Emerson Drive| image = E-Drive.jpg| caption = Emerson Drive, 2008| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias = 12 Gauge| origin = Grande Prairie, Alberta , Canada | genre = Country music|Country | years_active = 1995–present| associated_acts = Richard Marx Johnny Reid Shania Twain Farmer's Daughter | label = DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks Nashville Midas Records Nashville|Midas / Big Machine Records|Valory Open Road Recordings|Open Road Amdian Music Co. Nine North QuarterBack| website = http://www.emersondrive.com/ www.emersondrive.com| current_members = Danick Dupelle Brad Mates Mike Melancon David Pichette Dale Wallace| past_members = Pat Allingham Remi Barre Dan Bauman Dan Binns Patrick Bourque Chris Hartman Derrick Kuzemchuk Jeff Loberg David Switzer Emerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta , Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates ( lead vocals ), Danick Dupelle ( guitar s and Backing vocalist|backing vocals ), Mike Melancon ( Drum kit|drums ), Dale Wallace ( keyboard instrument|keyboards and backing vocals), and David Pichette ( fiddle ).
Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open Season was a product of winning a local "Battle of the Bands" contest. They then charted two singles on the Canadian country charts and a music video on CMT (Canada)|CMT . By 1999, they changed the name to Emerson Drive, and had moved to Nashville, Tennessee to find a major label record deal. Emerson Drive recorded two albums on the DreamWorks Records label, and charted several hits on both the U.S. and Canadian country music charts. After DreamWorks' collapse in 2005, Emerson Drive signed to Midas Records Nashville , where they resumed their streak of hit singles, including their first Number One single in " Moments (Emerson Drive song)|Moments ". In summer 2008, Midas Records closed their country division. Emerson Drive then signed with Valory Music Group|The Valory Music Co. and the CD which Emerson Drive had been working on, Believe (Emerson Drive album)|Believe , became a co-partnership with Midas Records, who kept ownership of the CD while The Valory Music Co. was in charge of promotion and distribution of Emerson Drive and Believe .
History
12 Gauge
Emerson Drive was formed under the name of 12 Gauge in February 1995 when Brad Mates entered a talent contest at his local high school in Grande Prairie, Alberta . Through the contest, Mates met fiddler Pat Allingham and keyboardist Chris Hartman. Mates, Hartman, and Allingham decided to form a band with guitarists Dan Binns and David Switzer, bass guitarist Jeff Loberg, and drummer Remi Barre. The band started practicing in Mates' basement and entering singing contests. In 1996, the group entered a local "Battle of the Bands" contest and won the opportunity to write and record an EP titled Open Season .
12 Gauge began work on first studio album, Until You Walk the Tracks , the following year. Throughout 1997 and 1998, the group had been touring around Canada to support their album and charted two songs in Canada, including the top 40 single, "Some Trains Never Come", which peaked at #36 on the RPM (magazine)|RPM Country Tracks chart in 1998. Both singles featured music video s that received airplay on CMT (Canada)|CMT Canada . In early 1998, the group received a nomination for Top New Group or Duo at the RPM Big Country Awards, but lost to Montana Sky.
By this time, Switzer had left the group and drummer Remi Barre had been replaced by Derrick Kuzemchuk. Soon after the release, Binns left the group. He was replaced by Dan Bauman, who stayed with the band for just over a year. By the end of 1998, Binns and Kuzemchuk left the group. Shortly after, the band hired Gerry Leiske as their manager, replacing previous manager Lionel Allingham, who was Pat Allingham's father. Leiske introduced the band to guitarist Danick Dupelle, who had been performing with Canadian country trio Farmer's Daughter , whom Leiske also managed. Drummer Mike Melancon was also brought in to replace Kuzemchuk .
Name change to Emerson Drive
As the band had been finding success in Canada, they decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee for an United States|American record deal. When attempting to gain a record contract in Nashville, the group was forced to change their name due to an American rap group already owning the name 12 Gauge. The band settled on Emerson Drive, which was named for the Emerson Trail that crosses Western Alberta and joins the Alaskan Highway .cite book |url= http://books.google.com/books? id=Mg8EAAAAMBAJ& pg=PA52& dq=emerson+drive& as_pt=MAGAZINES& ei=fF88S_fAMqmKkATX1KjNAQ& cd=1#v=onepage& q=emerson%20drive& f=false|title=Constant Touring Does the Trick for DreamWork's Emerson Drive|accessdate=2009-12-31|publisher= Billboard Magazine
The group caught the attention of executives at DreamWorks Records , who signed the group to a record deal in 2000. Emerson Drive's debut American single, " I Should Be Sleeping ", was released in November 2001. The song went on to become a top five hit for the group on the Billboard Hot Country Songs|Hot Country Single & Tracks chart in 2002, peaking at #3. "I Should Be Sleeping" also cracked the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 , peaking at #35. Emerson Drive's debut album was originally scheduled to be released in January 2002, but was delayed when DreamWorks executives found two new songs and brought in singer-songwriter Richard Marx to produce. The album was eventually released in May 2002. The album debuted at #13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #108 on the Billboard 200 . The album's second single, "Fall into Me", one of the two new songs Marx produced, was issued in late 2002 and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Beginning in August 2002, the band went through member changes with departure of bassist Jeff Loberg, who exited the group to focus on his songwriting. Loberg was replaced by Patrick Bourque shortly after. Keyboardist Chris Hartman was replaced by Dale Wallace after he left to return to school in early 2003. By June 2003, Pat Allingham left the group to spend more time with his family and was replaced by David Pichette.
What If?
Emerson Drive once again recruited Richard Marx to produce their second album, What If? (Emerson Drive album)|What If? . The album's first single, "Waitin' on Me", was released to Canada only in late 2003 and followed shortly by "Last One Standing", released in both Canada and the United States, in January 2004. While the band recorded their second album, they opened most North American shows on Shania Twain 's Up& #33; Tour . The tour began on September 25, 2003 and ended on July 10, 2004. The group's second album was released in June 2004 and debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Despite having success in Canada, the band was struggling in the United States and were dropped from DreamWorks in late 2004. Universal Music Group closed the struggling DreamWorks Nashville the following year. The group was able to release two more singles from What If? in Canada through Universal Music Canada in 2005.
New label and release of Countrified
In late 2005, Keith Follesé and Brad Allen were launching a new record label, Midas Records Nashville , when they heard Emerson Drive. Follesé and Allen quickly signed the band to the label and began working on Emerson Drive's third album. Country band Alabama (band)|Alabama 's Teddy Gentry and veteran Nashville musician and songwriter Josh Leo were brought in to produce the band's fifth album, Countrified (Emerson Drive album)|Countrified , which was released in September 2006, debuting at #30 on the Billboard Top Country Songs chart.
The album's first single, " A Good Man ," reached #17 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in late 2006 and was followed by " Moments (Emerson Drive song)|Moments ", which gave the group their first number one single. Emerson Drive became the first Canadian based group to reach number one and the fifth Canadian act overall. "Moments" was followed in Canada by the top five hit "Testify" and in the United States by the top 25 hit " You Still Own Me ", a cover the 2004 Johnny Reid single.
Death of Patrick Bourque, and release of Believe
Patrick Bourque, formerly the band's bass guitarist, resigned from the band in August 2007 for an unknown reason. On September 26, of that same year, he was found dead in his Montreal, Quebec home. At the time, the cause of death was not released by police and was eventually determined to be a suicide. The members of Emerson Drive learned of his death while traveling to a concert in Valentine, Nebraska . In November, the band talked with CBC News saying they had known that Bourque had been unhappy, but "nobody could do anything for him".cite news |url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2007/11/15/emerson-drive.html|title=Emerson Drive remembers Patrick Bourque|accessdate=2009-12-31|publisher= CBC News |date=November 15, 2007 The band recovered from Bourque's death and began recording their sixth album in 2008.
In November 2008, the band released their first new single, " Belongs to You ", on Midas and new label Valory Music Group , which began to promote the band in mid-2008. The song peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in March 2009 and the new album, Believe (Emerson Drive album)|Believe , was delayed. The album eventually came out in May 2009 in Canada only. Due to a dispute with the band's record label, Midas Records, the album was not released in the United States at the time.cite web |url= http://www.stjoelive.com/news/2010/apr/02/young-and-tireless/|title=The young and the tireless|accessdate=2010-04-05|publisher= St. Joseph News-Press|St. Joe Live Despite this, the group has achieved three more top ten hits in Canada with "Believe," "I Love This Road," and "The Extra Mile." The band left Valory Music Group and Midas in 2009.cite web |url= http://www.theboot.com/2010/07/29/emerson-drive-record-label/|title=Emerson Drive Start Their Own Record Label|accessdate=2010-07-29|publisher=The Boot In 2010, the band acquired the rights to Believe (Emerson Drive album)|Believe and will release the album in the United States under the group's own label, Amdian Music Co. in 2011. The first single, "That Kind of Beautiful", was released in Canada in June 2010 and was released in the United States in August. The band recorded new music that will replace several tracks on the U.S. version of Believe . During this time, the band signed with Open Road Recordings which will release and promote the band's music in Canada.
Decade of Drive
Open Road Recordings released the band's first greatest hits album, Decade of Drive , on February 8, 2011 in Canada.cite web |url= http://emersondrive.com/? news_id=19104& inc=5& utm_source=feedburner& utm_medium=feed& utm_campaign=Feed%253A+EmersonDriveHeadlines+%2528Emerson+Drive+Headlines%2529|title=Country Stars Emerson Drive Announce 33-City Canadian Tour And Hits Package|accessdate=2010-11-29|publisher=Emerson Drive official website The album's first single, "When I See You Again", was released in November 2010. The song was written as a tribute to deceased member Patrick Bourque. The album will feature the band's biggest hits and new previously unreleased songs. A deluxe edition with acoustic recordings and another unreleased track is also expected to be released at a later date. During January 2011, Emerson Drive signed with Quarterback Records to release their next American single, "Let Your Love Speak", to U.S. radio on February 28, 2011.cite web |url= http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/86637/emerson-drive-announces-partnership-with-quarterba|title=Emerson Drive Announces Partnership With Quarterback Records|accessdate=2011-02-01|publisher=All Access The band began the Decade and Driving Tour on February 8, 2011 in Canada with stops in several cities and towns across Canada. The United States leg of the tour will begin in Evansville, Indiana on April 8. http://emersondrive.com/index.htm? id=11850 Emerson Drive >> Tour The album's third single "Sleep It Off" released to Canadian country radio in 2011.
CMT Music Video of the Year – "I Should Be Sleeping"
nom
Radio & Records Year-End Awards
Top New Artist MVP
won
2003
Academy of Country Music
Top New Vocal Group or Duo
won
Canadian Country Music Association
Group or Duo of the Year
won
CMT Flameworthy Awards
Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Fall into Me"
nom
Juno Awards
Country Recording of the Year – Emerson Drive
nom
2004
Canadian Country Music Association
Group or Duo of the Year
nom
CMT Music Video of the Year – "Last One Standing"
nom
2005
Group or Duo of the Year
nom
2006
Group or Duo of the Year
nom
CMT Music Video of the Year – "A Good Man"
nom
2007
Academy of Country Music
Top Vocal Group
nom
Canadian Country Music Association
Group or Duo of the Year
won
CMT Music Video of the Year – "Moments"
won
Album of the Year – Countrified
nom
Single of the Year – "Moments"
won
Country Music Association
Vocal Group of the Year
nom
Music Video of the Year – "Moments"
nom
Inspirational Country Music Awards
Video of the Year – "Moments"
won
Juno Awards
Country Recording of the Year – Countrified
nom
2008
Academy of Country Music
Top Vocal Group
nom
Canadian Country Music Association
Fans' Choice Award
nom
Group or Duo of the Year
nom
CMT Online Awards
No.1 Digitally Active Group of the Year
nom
Country Music Association
Vocal Group of the Year
nom
Dove Awards
Special Event Album of the Year – Songs 4 Worship: Country
nom
Grammy Awards
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – "Moments"
nom
2009
Canadian Country Music Association
Group or Duo of the Year
nom
2010
Juno Awards
Country Album of the Year – Believe
nom
References
reflist
External links
http://www.facebook.com/1emersondrive Emerson Drive Official Site
myspace|emersondrive|Emerson Drive
Emerson Drive Category:Canadian country music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Big Machine Records artists Category:DreamWorks Records artists Category:Open Road Recordings artists Category:Musical quintets Category:Midas Records Nashville artists
