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Sum 41

Sum 41 is a Canadian pop punk band from Ajax, Ontario.[1] The current members are Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Cone McCaslin (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Steve Jocz (drums, percussion, and backing vocals). The band's "classic" line-up is the same, except with Dave Baksh on lead guitar and backing vocals.

In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records. Since then, the band has released four studio albums, all of which have been certified platinum in Canada.[2] Their most successful album to date is All Killer No Filler, which is certified 3x platinum in Canada and platinum in the United States.[3] The album was fueled by the single "Fat Lip", which reached the top position on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, making it the band's most successful single.[4] The second single off the album, "In Too Deep", reached number-ten on the Modern Rock chart.[5]

The band often performs more than 300 times in a single year and hold long global tours, most of which last more than a year.[6] They have been nominated for seven Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) and have won twice (Group Of The Year in 2002 and Rock Album of the Year for Chuck in 2005). They also have been nominated for three different Canadian Independent Music Awards: In 2004, they won a Woodie Award for "The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact)".[7] They have also been nominated for a Kerrang! Award in 2003 for "Best Live Act".[8]

History

Beginnings and Half Hour of Power (1996–2000)

Deryck Whibley during a show

Sum 41 was formed on July 31, 1996 or forty-one days into the summer, hence the name (Summer 41 Days). The band was originally a NOFX cover band named Kaspir; they changed their name to Sum 41 for a Supernova show on September 28, 1996.[9][10]

In 1998 the band recorded a demo tape on Compact Cassette which they sent to record companies in hope of getting a recording contract. These demo tapes are rare and are the only recordings known with the original bassist Richard "Twitch" Roy.[11]

From 1999 to 2000, the band recorded several of their antics. The Introduction to Destruction and later the Cross The T's and Gouge Your I's DVDs both contained the self-recorded footage, among which were robbing a Kelly's Pizza with water guns and performing a dance to "Makes No Difference" in front of a theater.

Sum 41 released the EP Half Hour of Power on June 27, 2000. The first single released by the band was "Makes No Difference", which had two different music videos. The first video was put together using the video clips sent to the record label and the second showed the band performing at a house party.[12]

All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected? (2001–2003)

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"Fat Lip"
Sample of "Fat Lip" from All Killer No Filler. "Fat Lip" was the band's first single to reach #1 on the Billboard hot modern rock chart.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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Sum 41's first full-length album, All Killer No Filler, was released on May 8, 2001. "Fat Lip", the album's first single, achieved notable commercial success; it topped the U.S. Billboard modern rock chart as well as other charts around the world.[13] After "Fat Lip", the band released two more singles from the album: "In Too Deep" and "Motivation". "In Too Deep" had a comedic music video of the band in a diving competition against jocks; "Motivation" had a video of the band playing in a small room. The band spent much of 2001 touring; they played over 300 concerts that year (among which was a Blink-182 concert they opened) before returning to the studio to record another album. They took the last week of the tour off due to the September 11 terrorist attacks.[14] They later rescheduled the cancelled shows.[15]

On November 26, 2002, Sum 41 released their second full-length album, Does This Look Infected?.[16] The special edition came with a DVD, Cross The T's and Gouge Your I's. Whibley said of the album: "We don't want to make another record that sounds like the last record, I hate when bands repeat albums."[17] The first single released was "Still Waiting", which was followed by "The Hell Song". "The Hell Song"'s music video depicted the band using dolls with their pictures on them and others, such as Ozzy Osbourne and Pamela Anderson. Their next single, "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)", had a video released exclusively in Canada and on their website, featuring live shots of the band. The video also appeared on their live DVD, Sake Bombs And Happy Endings (2003), as a bonus feature.

Chuck and the Congo (2004–2006)

Bullets were coming through windows and everyone was just lying on the ground with their hands on their heads.One bomb came too close, hit the hotel and the hotel just started shaking. Everyone dove and was lying on the ground. Things were falling off the walls, mirrors were breaking. That's when we all kind of realized that this was really going bad, and we're probably not going to make it out.

— Deryck Whibley[18]

In late May 2004, the band traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo with War Child Canada, a branch of the British charity organization War Child, to document the civil war in the country.[19] Days after arriving, fighting broke out in Bukavu near the hotel the band was staying at.[18] The band waited for the firing to die down, but it did not during that time. A U.N. peacekeeper, Charles "Chuck" Pelletier, called for armored carriers to take the hotel's occupants out of the hot zone. After nearly six hours, the carriers arrived, and the band and the forty other civilians were taken to safety. Whibley later recalled the incident: "Bullets were coming through windows and everyone was just lying on the ground with their hands on their heads. One bomb came too close, hit the hotel and the hotel just started shaking. Everyone dove and was lying on the ground. Things were falling off the walls, mirrors were breaking. That's when we all kind of realized that this was really going bad, and we're probably not going to make it out."[18]

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"We're All to Blame"
Sample of "We're All to Blame" from Chuck. "We're All to Blame" featured an alternative metal sound, from the band's heaviest album.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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In honor of Pelletier, Sum 41 named their next album Chuck; it was released on October 12, 2004. A documentary of their experience was made into a film called Rocked: Sum 41 in Congo and later aired on MTV. War Child released it on DVD on November 29, 2005, in the United States and Canada. The first single from the album was "We're All To Blame"; it was followed by "Pieces", a relatively soft song which reached the top of the charts in Canada. The next single was "Some Say", released only in Canada and Japan. The last single off the record was "No Reason", released at the same time as "Some Say", but with no music video and was only released in Europe and the USA, where it reached the sixteenth position on the Billboard Modern Rock charts in the USA.[20]

On December 21, 2005, Sum 41 released a live album, Happy Live Surprise, in Japan. The CD contained a full concert recorded live from London, Ontario and was produced by Deryck. The same CD was released March 7, 2006, in Canada under the name Go Chuck Yourself.

Dave's departure and Underclass Hero (2006–2008)

Drummer Steve Jocz singing during the song "Pain for Pleasure"

On, May 11, 2006, Dave Baksh announced in a statement through his management company that he was leaving Sum 41 to work with his new band, Brown Brigade, which features a more "classic metal" sound. Baksh's departure from the band was cited as "creative differences"[21] The very next day, Deryck made the first official comment on the subject in an official message board post addressing Dave's departure. Deryck confirmed Dave's departure and announced that the band would only be replacing Dave with a touring guitarist, who would not be in videos, photo shoots, albums, or have any decision-making power in the band.[22]

Recording of the band's fourth studio album, Underclass Hero, began on November 8, 2006 and finished on March 14, 2007. The album, backed by the first single and title track, "Underclass Hero", was released on July 24, 2007. It debuted at number-seven in the United States, making it the band's highest U.S. chart position.[23] The album was nominated for a Juno Award for "Rock Album of the Year" but lost to Finger Eleven's Them vs. You vs. Me.[24] Template:Sound sample box align right

Sum 41 "Walking Disaster" (2007)
Sum 41 Returned to more of a pop sound with "Walking Disaster".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Template:Sample box end On April 17, 2007, the band released a song on iTunes, "March of the Dogs". Although not a single, the band released it early because, according to Whibley, "the record [wouldn't] be out until the summer". Whibley was threatened with deportation for the song, because he metaphorically "killed the president" in it.[25][26][27] Two more singles were released from the album, "Walking Disaster" and "With Me".

The band began a co-tour in October 2007 across Canada with Canadian band Finger Eleven and Die Mannequin opened each of Sum 41's shows. During the tour, Whibley sustained a herniated disk; as a result, they canceled the rest of their shows on the Strength In Numbers Tour with Finger Eleven.[28] After Whibley recovered from his injury, the band recommenced the Underclass Hero tour in March 2008. They toured until early July, where they took a break and then began preparation for their next album.[29]

New Studio Album & Greatest Hits (2008-Present)

On August 7, 2008, Cone announced in a journal entry on the band's official site that the band was currently taking time off from touring to do other things. Afterward, they would begin working on the band's next studio album. McCaslin is working on the second album by his side-project, The Operation M.D.. Jocz continued to tour as a drummer for The Vandals, and Whibley is touring with his wife, Avril Lavigne.[30]

Sum 41 recently released a press release denying rumors that Avril and Deryck were spliting up. They release also mentioned that because of the success of Underclass Hero Universal Music picked up the option to have Sum 41 produce a new album in 2009. They have started work on a new album, and will also be touring during 2009.[31]

Sum 41 recently announced that they will release 8 Years of Blood, Sake, and Tears: The Best of Sum 41 2000-2008, a greatest hits album, in Japan on November 25, 2008. The album will include a previously unreleased song, "Steering Wheels", and a DVD, which contains every one of the band's music videos.[32]

Other projects

Internet videos

Cone during a show

Touring in support of Chuck, Sum 41 played videos before their set which were deemed "unsuitable for children". Controversy arose over some of the videos' violent content.[33] They have made several other videos, including Basketball Butcher and 1-800-Justice, which were originally available exclusively on Sum 41's now-defunct fan club, the Goon Platoon.

Sum 41's most recent internet video project is a "weekly"[34] series, SUM 41 - Road to Ruin. The trailer was posted on January 8, 2007 on the Sum 41 web page. The first episode debuted on January 21; it followed their exploits on their Singapore 2003 tour. Since then, their episodes have included footage of drunkenness in New Orleans, setting off a fire alarm in a hotel, and a feature about their first tour manager. So far, they have released nine episodes. They also created a series of cartoons based on superhero "Stickman moss" who saved the world from anti-punk figures who endangered the world of punk rock.

Side projects and collaborations

Sum 41 has collaborated with many other artists, both live and in the studio, among whom are Tenacious D[35], Ludacris[36], Iggy Pop[37], Pennywise, Bowling for Soup, Unwritten Law[38], Treble Charger[39], Nelly, Gob[38], Tommy Lee[40], Metallica[41], and Ja Rule.

Shortly after touring for Does This Look Infected?, Iggy Pop recruited the band for his new album, Skull Ring.[37] Deryck co-wrote the first single from the album, "Little Know It All", and joined Iggy on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the song.[37] Following their September 11, 2005 show in Quebec City, Quebec, the band went on a touring hiatus, although on April 17, 2006, Sum 41 played at a tribute to Iggy Pop, joining Iggy on stage for "Little Know It All" and "Lust For Life".

During the band's 2006 touring hiatus, Whibley focused on his producing career; he wrote and produced two songs for Avril Lavigne's album The Best Damn Thing; Jocz recorded his first video as director for a Canadian band, The Midway State; and McCaslin started a side project with Todd Morse of H2O and Juliette and the Licks. McCaslin's two-person band, named The Operation M.D., released their debut album, We Have an Emergency, in early 2007. As well as playing bass, keyboards, and acoustic guitar, Cone contributed backing vocals as well as leading vocals on three songs. The Operation album was co-produced and mixed by Whibley. Their first single video, "Sayonara", was directed by Jocz.

In December 2007, McCaslin interviewed Slash of Velvet Revolver. They talked about Slash's experiences while in Guns N' Roses and his part in Velvet Revolver. The interview was done as part of a MySpace project and was posted on the site in three parts.[42]

Music style and influences

Sum 41 in concert at Metropolis in Montreal.

Beastie Boys and NOFX influenced Sum 41's early music, especially the rap rock found in "Fat Lip" and "What We're All About" singles. Their studio album, Does This Look Infected?, was heavily influenced by The Offspring. The band also cites The Beatles, Oasis, Iron Maiden, and Metallica as influences; the latter two influenced Sum 41's use of metal.[16][43][44]

The genre of Sum 41's music has been disputed by fans because of the complex combination of different musical styles and the much more mature, serious, and heavy sound in later albums. Most fans and critics agree that Half Hour of Power and All Killer No Filler were purely pop punk, but Does This Look Infected? started moving toward heavier styles, such as alternative rock and alternative metal,[45] with Chuck being mostly alternative metal. Underclass Hero became a revival of the band's old pop punk/punk rock style.[46] The genre argument is centralized around the punk streak of the band, and they have been labeled as pop punk, punk rock, alternative rock, and alternative metal.[47][48][49] Some of the band's songs contain political-social commentary; "The Jester" is an "anti-Bush screed", and "Dear Father" is about Deryck's absent father.[50]

Awards

Sum 41 has been nominated for seven Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy); they won twice. In 2001, they were nominated for "Best New Group" at the Juno awards, but lost to Nickelback. They were nominated for "Best Group" in the Juno Awards of 2002 but again lost to Nickelback. Also in 2002, The album All Killer No Filler was nominated for "Best Album; however, it lost to The Look of Love by Diana Krall. In 2003, Sum 41 won a Juno Award for "Group Of The Year".[51] In 2004, they were nominated again, this time with Does This Look Infected? for "Rock Album of the Year", but they lost to Sam Roberts's We Were Born in a Flame. In 2005, the album Chuck won "Rock Album of the Year"; they were also nominated for "Group of The Year", but lost to Billy Talent. In 2008, their album Underclass Hero was nominated for the Juno Award "Rock Album of the Year"; however, the album lost to Finger Eleven's Them vs. You vs. Me.[24] They also have been nominated for three different Canadian Independent Music Awards. In 2004, they won a Woodie Award for "The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact)".[7] They were also nominated for a Kerrang! Award in 2003 for "Best Live Act".[8]

Line-ups

(1996-1997)[52]
(1997-1999)[52]
  • Deryck Whibley - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Dave Baksh - Lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Mark Spicoluk - Bass, backing vocals
  • Steve Jocz - Drums, backing vocals
(1999-2006)[52]
Classic (best-selling) lineup
  • Deryck Whibley - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano/keyboard
  • Dave Baksh - Lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Cone McCaslin - Bass, backing vocals
  • Steve Jocz - Drums, backing vocals
(2006-present)
  • Deryck Whibley - Lead vocals, guitar, piano/keyboard
  • Cone McCaslin - Bass, backing vocals
  • Steve Jocz - Drums, backing vocals

Discography

Main article: Sum 41 discography
Studio albums

References

  1. ^ "Juno Awards 2003". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  2. ^ "Aquarius Records: About". Aquarius Records. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  3. ^ Edwards, Gavin (December 17, 2001). "People of the Year 2001: Sum 41". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  4. ^ "Artists Chart History". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  5. ^ "Artists Chart History". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  6. ^ "Sum 41 Past Tour Dates". Island Records. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  7. ^ a b "MTVU Woodie Awards". Jambase.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Kerrang! 2003 awards". BBC. 2003-08-06. Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Answers.com Topic: Sum 41". Answers.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  10. ^ "Artists- Sum 41". 100xr.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  11. ^ "Sum 41-B-sides and rarities list". Theresnosolution.com. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  12. ^ "Sum 41 Bio". Vh1.com. 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  13. ^ "Billboard.com -Artist Chart History- Sum 41". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  14. ^ Davis, Darren (September 20, 2001). "Sum 41 News on Yahoo! music". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  15. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (2002-02-21). "Sum 41 Plan DVD, Live B-Sides, Monthlong Tour". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ a b D'Angelo, Joe (2002-09-13). "Sum 41 Ask, Does This Look Infected?". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ Edwards, Gavin (October 11, 2001). Canadian Teenage Rock and Roll Machine. Rolling Stone. p. 50.
  18. ^ a b c D'Angelo, Joe (June 3, 2004). "Sum 41 Caught in Violent Outbreak in Congo". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ D'Angelo, Joe (March 22, 2004). "Sum 41 Plan Trip To War-Torn Congo". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  20. ^ "Billboard.com -Artist Chart History- Sum 41". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  21. ^ Montgomery, James (May 12, 2006). "Sum 41 Guitarist Quits to Focus on New Band". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  22. ^ Whibley, Deryck (May 12, 2006). "Sum 41 Board Message". Sum 41 Forums. Island Records. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  23. ^ "The Billboard 200- Underclass Hero". Billboard.com. October 6, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  24. ^ a b "Sum 41 nominated for A Juno". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  25. ^ "Sum 41-Whibley Threatened with Deportation". Contactmusic.com. July 22, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  26. ^ "Deryck Whibley Claims He Was Nearly Deported, Lily Allen Aims at Courtney Love, R. Kelly's Lawyers Start Their Ignitions". Rolling Stone. July 24, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  27. ^ "Sum 41's Deryck Whibley threatened with deportation". Punknews.org. July 24, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  28. ^ Singerman, Michelle (October 23, 2007). "Deryck Whibley's Weak Back Ends Strength In Numbers Tour Early". chartattack.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  29. ^ Rivait, Lindsey (March 19, 2008). "Sum 41: the Underclass Heroes bounce back". The Lance. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  30. ^ "Sum 41". Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  31. ^ "Press Release". Retrieved 2008-10-29. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  32. ^ Hughes, Josiah (2008-11-6). "Sum 41 Release Japan-Only Greatest Hits Album". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  33. ^ D'Angelo, Joe (November 19, 2004). "Sum 41 Video Skit Deemed Unsuitable For Children — Band Says, 'Good!'". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  34. ^ (The band originally stated it was a weekly series; but it was often months between the release of each video.)
  35. ^ "Sum 41/Tenacious D: "Things I Want"". punknews.org. 2007-12-24. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  36. ^ Hall, Rashaun (2005-01-20). "Luda, Sum 41 Get Down On 'Get Back' During 'SNL' Rehearsal". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  37. ^ a b c Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-10-29). "Iggy Pop, Sum 41 Think They 'Know It All'". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  38. ^ a b Stout, Gene (2002-01-25). "Hot punk band Sum 41 is planning cool antics". Seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  39. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-02-07). "Avril, Sum 41 Part Of Rear-End Mystery In Treble Charger Video". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  40. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Tommy Lee - Tommyland, the Ride". Top40.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  41. ^ "Sum 41 and The Donnas to Perform Friday Night At The Gravity Games®". Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  42. ^ "Cone & Slash". Theresnosolution.com. December 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  43. ^ "Sum 41: Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  44. ^ "Sum 41 Artists Bio". 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  45. ^ D'Angelo, Joe. "Sum 41: Testing Their Metal". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  46. ^ Bansal, Vik. "Sum 41 Album reviews". Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  47. ^ "Sum 41: Underclass Hero (2007) Review". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  48. ^ Wood, Mikael (July 20, 2007). "Underclass Hero: Music Review". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  49. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Allmusic: Sum 41 Overview". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  50. ^ Hoard, Christian (2007-8-23). "Underclass Hero Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. ^ "Juno Awards 2003". Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  52. ^ a b c W., Phili. "Sum 41 Band Bio". Theresnosolution.com. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
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