FULLY LOADED

The first couple times I listened to Fully Loaded’s debut EP, I didn’t know what to think. Then on a sunny day, I popped it in my deck and went on a cruise. The disc went zero to sixty instantly, and as I dropped into first, something clicked.

The first chords of the kick-off track “It’s Alright” roar like a high-performance sports car down an open road. Brothers Mike and Andrew Twining, manning the wheel on vocals and guitar respectively, ably navigate this radio-worthy rockmobile. But under the hood, bassist Chris Ball and drummer Jovan provide the piston- and fist-pumping rhythms that will have you hammering the steering-wheel or punishing your dashboard as they propel Fully Loaded into the red.

For “The Way You’re Talking”, the band borrows the keys to Mariana’s Trench’s success, with dancing, rollicking guitars and trunding, rumbling drums. Instead of the falsetto option taken by the Trench’s Josh Ramsay, Mike Twining opts for a substantial sound that doesn’t make you feel less of a man for liking it.

With “When Will It End?” the rockmobile taps into Vancouver’s unavoidable rainy day road-rage. Brother Andrew’s guitar looms moody and threatening like dark thunder clouds; underneath Brother Mike anguishes in bumper-to-bumper futility, while the relentless rhythms fall like a steel torrent.

Overall, the lyrics aren’t the most compeling cog in Fully Loaded’s machinery. But closing track “Hollow”, a tender, acoustic confession that echoes in your eardrums as if it was recorded in a close-quartered abandoned apartment, was selected by MusicBC as the grand-prize winner of Songbird West songwriting contest. The prize includes a chance to write and produce with proven hit-makers at Bananatoons/Shred Records.

It’s always a relief to hear radio-friendly, commercially-viable rock come out of Vancouver that sounds nothing like Nickelback. This perfectly-crafted debut EP promises a dynamic, high-octane live show and, the band’s success in Songbird West and other competitions, a highly anticipated full-length CD due this spring.
- Liam Ford, Kezine.com (March 2007)

OVERLOADING SPEAKERS
Independent Vancouver band rocks out famously.

For a band that started out as two brothers - guitarist Andrew and lead singer Mike Twining - jamming in their basement, Fully Loaded has certainly come a long way.
"We can really feed of each other writing music," says Andrew. "It really works well because we have the same influences and we grew up listening to music together. We can mold our songs together and make them something better."

While their success today reflects a ton of hard work, they have also had more than one lucky break along the road. The boys were discovered about a year ago by Tom MacDonald, who some may know as the bass player for Hedley. MacDonald used his industry connections to get Fully Loaded prime recording time, which they used to produce their self-titled EP. A few months after the EP was complete, Fully Loaded got their big push to fame when Vancouver's biggest rock station 99.3 The Fox, added them to rotation.

Creating an album is only half of the musical process. The other half involves building a really awesome live show that leaves fans feeling overwhelmed for days. Andrew Twining stresses that Fully Loaded aims to be that kind of band.

"One of the main priorities was getting our live show amazing," he says. We wanted to sound better than we did on our EP - that raw rock feel when you go to a show where the band is all over the place. You've got the drum solo and the guitar solo, stuff you don't hear on the album. We spent a lot of time working on that; it's not something that just comes with practice. You need to play shows like that."

Fully Loaded have acquired almost everything they need to be classified as "famous." All they need now is a set of groupies to follow them as they tour from Vancouver to Winnipeg. Maybe there is a set of sisters out there who want to initiate a following.
- The Gauntlet - Excerpt from the interview by Sara Hanson (October 12th, 2006).

“FULLY LOADED is fun to watch. The whole band seems boisterous and happy and casual. No weird posing or pretensions, they’re just up there having a good time. They really sound good too. Very solid musicians.” Andy Scheffler, CORD Magazine, May 2006

“The guitars here aren’t without their crunchy moments, with “The Way You’re Talking” spotlighting playing that manages the difficult task of being both edgy and tasteful…If you like rock radio, you’ll love Fully Loaded.” Mike Usinger, The Georgia Straight, July 2006

"You guys are the rockiest band that ever rocked this rock of an island. I'm pretty sure the next time you play here, the mosh pit will do enough damage to sink the whole place." Andrew, Got Pop Productions, Mar 2007
- Various

99.3 The FOX - Vancouver
103.5 The Core - SAIT Calgary
FREQ 107 - Winnipeg
Power 97 - Winnipeg
Hot 103 - Winnipeg
UMFM - Winnipeg
The Wolf - Regina
Rock 105.3 - Medecine Hat
106.7 The Drive - Red Deer
Sonic - Edmonton
The Bear - Edmonton
XFM - Calgary
CJAY - Calgary
Y108 - London
Y108 - Hamilton
The Edge - Toronto
- In 2007 and 2008

Province-wide Songwriting Contest Winners Announced (September 29, 2006)

(Vancouver, BC ) Music BC – The Pacific Music Industry Association – is proud to announce the winners of SongBird West. Vancouver's Andrew Twining, Mike Twining and Chris Ball - all members of the band FULLY LOADED- for their song: "Hollow" netting them $10,000 in prizes including studio time and the opportunity to work with hit-making songwriters Sean Hosein, Dane Deviller, Steve Smith and Anthony Anderson at Bananatoons/ Shred Records (Hedley/Kelly Rowland).
- MusicBC