Faber Drive

Faber Drive formed in 2004, and in 05’ Faber submitted their song “Sex and Love” to a local radio competition against hundreds of other local artists. They received such a great response and won first place as well as being voted best band in Vancouver. It's easy to see why. "Sex and Love" is the kind of song that's equally enthralling whether blasting from car speakers, an iPod, a home stereo or a concert PA. A sinuous blend of bobbing bass lines, passionate singing and "ba-ba-baaa" background vocals, the cut is pretty representative of the rest of Faber Drive's debut album "SEVEN SECOND SURGERY" (604 Records/Universal Canada).

The first single "Second Chance" builds from a mid-paced tug-and-release verse into an exultant refrain that encapsulates the regret and frustration of backing out of a relationship prematurely: "Instead of holding you, I was holding out/ I should have let you in, but I let you down.” Second Chance video became an instant hit with Much Music, gaining the band serious notoriety and popularity.

"Tongue Tied” is a dynamic rock ballad about trying in vain to say the right thing at the right time, and was co-written by Nickelbacks Chad Kroeger and famed Hinder producer Brian Howes. As "tongue-tied" as Faber is in the song, his yearning anxiety is matched with romantic optimism. This song captivated audiences around Canada and got to be #1 Video on Much Music and Musique Plus. With that single they were #1 for 2 weeks on the Canadian Billboard Emerging Artists, a top 10 hit at both Top 40 and Hot AC.

“When I’m With You” Faber Drive’s third single has already received an enormous amount of radio airplay recognition after following “Tongue Tied.” And has sent the guys out on another cross-Canadian tour, “Seven Second Surgery Tour.”

Faber Drive’s recent success has earned them a 2008 Canadian Radio Music Award for best new Hot AC Band of the year. They have also been nominated for the 2008 Juno Awards for Best New Group of 2008.

"We like to put hope into people," says drummer Red Bull. "We don't want to be one of those bands that has no message."

One of the most poignant messages on "SEVEN SECOND SURGERY" comes in "Sleepless (Never Let Her Go)." Initially, the track started as a self-loathing confession to a loved one, but Faber felt the message wasn't powerful enough, so he and the band rewrote the song about the horrors of domestic abuse. "It's from the child's point of view," says Faber. "It means a lot to us because it's a real issue. My parents used to fight a lot when I was growing up. They were never abusive, but it was hard, so I can imagine how painful it must be for kids from abusive families."

Before forming Faber in 2004, Faber taught guitar and drum lessons in Mission, British Columbia and wrote and recorded on the side. His first drum student was Red Bull, who took instruction for three years until he and Faber decided to form a band. "I remember when I first started telling people, my own brother said, 'Dude, you're crazy. He sucks,'" remembers Faber with a smirk. "And I said, 'I know but soon that’ll change. Just watch. He's really consistent and a hard worker.' And now, Red's by far one of the best drummers in Vancouver."

Around the same time as Faber started jamming with Red, the singer hooked up with Hinder producer Brian Howes and Nickelback producer Joey Moi, who were blown away by Faber's acoustic demos. So, Howes asked if he could co-write with Faber and Moi offered to start preproduction. Soon after Faber recorded with Howes and Moi, they handed the demos to Kevin “Chief” Zaruk (Manager of Hinder) and he immediately fell in love with what he heard. Once he saw the band live he was in! "You don’t really get this band until you see them live, their energy is undeniable and they love playing live. This is a band that is determined and has a clear vision of what and who they want to be,” says Chief. Then, Faber filled in the gaps in the band's line-up. Faber's brother recommended guitarist David Hinsley, whose aggressive playing style gives the band's tunes extra intensity. But at first, Faber wasn't impressed by Hinsley's performance.

"We jammed for maybe 10 minutes, and I said, 'Okay, I don't think you're really what I'm looking for,'" recalls Faber. "I walked out, and my brother called me and said, 'Dude, what are you doing, man? You gotta try him one more time.' So, I went over to Hinsley's house a couple nights later, and we jammed from seven ‘til two in the morning, and it was amazing, we totally hit it off."

Bassist Jeremy "Krikit" Liddle was last to join. Faber and Red saw Liddle performing onstage at an Easter Sunday church service and were impressed by his range and tone. So, Faber went up to him after the service and gave the bassist his phone number. "He didn't realize I was trying to get him to play bass for us," Faber says. "He thought I was trying to get him to come back to church more often. He was gonna stop going be