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Photo credit: John Loreaux
Formed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by guitarist-songwriter Carl Bell in 1989. They are known for their hit songs “Shimmer” from the album Sunburn, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” and “Bad Day” from the album Something Like Human, as well as “Falls on Me” from the album Natural Selection as well as many other rock singles and albums. In addition, the band had multiple videos in heavy rotation on MTV, numerous live network TV performances in the US, Canada, and Australia, and songs on film soundtracks such as Scream 3, Daredevil, A Walk to Remember, and Godzilla.
The album Sunburn is certified platinum by the RIAA, and the album Something Like Human is certified double-platinum. "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" held the #1 spot on Billboard’s Rock charts for over 3 months and in 2013 became the No. 6 Alternative Rock song of the past 25 years according to Billboard's Alternative Chart 25th Anniversary Top 100 Songs.
After rebuilding their brotherhood, founder, guitarist, and songwriter Carl Bell and longtime drummer Kevin Miller didn’t just celebrate their history together. They rushed into the future joined by new blood—Aaron Scott [lead vocals, guitar] from The Voice, Mark Klotz [guitar, vocals], and Tommy Nat [bass, vocals]—and armed with their first album together in 18 years, Ånomåly.
Much like the title suggests, it has been decades of rewarding music from one of the top grunge bands from the nineties. It is time to speak to Carl Bell from Fuel, face to face. We know what they have accomplished throughout the decades, is there a story behind their success? What are they working on now? Let's dive right into the conversation between Carl Bell and Sophia Radisch.
INTERVIEW WITH CARL BELL AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Sophia: You're blessed. A songwriting KING, Carl Bell. You're famous for your epic and legendary songwriting. And, you have an ear for magnetic melody! Your latest FUEL album ÅNOMÅLY is a testament to your genius! A new era for your band, FUEL. Congratulations on a remarkable rock 'n' roll career!
ÅNOMÅLY is Fuel's 6th
The full-length album and was released on October 22, 2021. Your band is hailed as a multi-platinum alternative rock band. Your iconic brand of hard rock is known for its lucid, powerful lyrics and heavy guitars. FUEL has dominated the airwaves and helped define the sound of post-grunge. Thanks for your masterful and brilliant songwriting Carl! And your melodic lead guitar work!
Carl: I don't know what band you're talking about, but I hope it's us! Okay, perfect! Hahaha!
Sophia: It is you, Carl! Hahaha!
Carl: You might have poured it on a little thick but that's fantastic! That's great. Thank you so much! Hahaha!
Sophia: Well then, you're really going to enjoy the rest of this! Hahaha. Let's go!
Carl: Well, it's nice to have a friend on the line! Omg! Hahaha!
Sophia: First question. What was the conversation like between you and Kevin (original FUEL drummer) when, in 2020, you first talked about the rebirth of the band (as it had been a decade since you last wrote and performed with FUEL)? I read that you called it "the Jesus moment".
Carl: A come to Jesus’ moment! It was tough. I'll tell you right now, it was tough! Because, Kevin and I definitely had some bad blood and it was a rough departure back in the day. But, Kevin sees the light now. That was our conversation.
He said dude, I get it now! I was in a weird headspace. It was kind of funny because I said to him, dude I don't know if I can do this or not. It had so many problems. But he said dude, I'm so sorry. And, I said, If I did anything, I'm sorry as well. We just kind of opened everything up and said alright I apologize for this. You did this, I did this. And, we both just laid it out on the table and talked it out like a couple of guys. It was not easy!
One of the things Kevin said is, dude, I'll call you every day for the next two weeks and say I'm sorry! And I said alright, I'll hold you to that! And so for two weeks, I get a phone call from Kevin and he says "Hey dude! I'm sorry!" It was funny, but it was needed!
Bands are so tough. I mean imagine! We've all had ex-wives, ex-husbands, ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends. Imagine getting back with that person and trying to make it work! A lot of you would never even do it or consider it because you know why they're your ex. It's really difficult to go back to that but Kevin and I had a lot of talks, and we both apologized to each other over and over and worked things out.
Sophia: That shows a lot of strength, empathy and trust in rebuilding that relationship. I'm so happy that you guys did, because fans like us, we love you guys and want to have the privilege of seeing you in concert and continue to experience your music LIVE! So, I'm happy you guys had that moment.
Carl: I get it from a fan standpoint too! First of all, there are very few bands that have been around as long as we have that are still all original members. I mean maybe Aerosmith, but Aerosmith are notorious with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler. That's very public. We see that they don't get along all the time either! It's very rare that a band, any band, has all original members. I don't know hardly any. So, it's tough! And again, bands are like marriage. And you know, Kevin and I could work it out. But, some people can't work things out with one another.
What I'm happy about, is now I have a bunch of guys that all enjoy each other. It's quality of life! That's what I'm looking for. I want everybody else out there in the world to have a quality life too! And what we're trying to do right now is enjoy playing music. I wrote mostly everything. It's the music that I wrote that I divorced myself from for 15 years, when I gave it to the old singer. I want to go out now and enjoy playing those songs! I hope you'll come out and enjoy the ride with us! We're having a good time. Honoring the past, playing the songs correctly, and making them sound great!
Sophia: Your legacy includes so many extraordinary and commanding rock anthems! "Don't Say I." Love this power ballad! I read that you wrote this single feeling that it acted as a bridge song for your fans - the songs from early FUEL to now! I truly appreciate this sentiment. It’s beautiful. It shows the honor and respect that you hold for music composition, and your fans. The fans that continue to appreciate, revel in, and rock out to your epic tunes! I'm one of them!
Your 1998 debut album, Sunburn, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, with one million units sold! According to Radio & Records, "Shimmer" was the most played song on alternative radio stations in the United States in 1998.
In 2000, Something Like Human earned a double-platinum certification and the lead single "Hemorrhage (In My Hands) ranked your highest charting single to date. In 2013, it became the No. 6 Alternative Rock song of the past 25 years, according to Billboard's Alternative Chart, 25th Anniversary Top 100. Incredible!
In 2003, Natural Selection was released. Your band's third album. In 2004, FUEL received a Grammy nomination for Natural Selection, with rock hits like "Falls On Me” and “Won’t Back Down". "Won't Back Down" was originally released as the lead single for the 2003 film Daredevil: The Album. It is the soundtrack album for the film Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck. Legendary! Referring to Natural Selection, you said "The record is, I think, far and beyond any of the other records we've had as a body of work." Producer Michael Beinhorn stated that Natural Selection was one of his favorite albums to produce. That's iconic! He's produced some of the most celebrated and acclaimed bands. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Hole, Korn, and Marilyn Manson. Amazing!
So, now my question for you…
Carl: Hahaha! I love your wind up. Your wind up is amazing!
Sophia: I appreciate that! What do you think propelled your songwriting for this album, as a body of work? Can you explain your creative process for the album Natural Selection?
Carl: I think it doesn't matter one album or the other. Basically, you're always trying to outdo your last record. Trying to outdo yourself. Trying to write the best songs you can write. At the end of the day, it's about the songs. I know a lot of people in Nashville, trying to find that song.
I saw an interview the other day with lead singers Sammy Hagar and Joey Elliot. Sammy Hagar asked him, what's more important, the singer or the song? Both great singers, and they both said the song. Now, that doesn't mean just anybody can sing it. I'm glad Brett, back in the day, was a great singer and frontman for us. All honor to Brett for what he did.
But you gotta have songs! I think any artist knows that. So, basically, the inspiration is, we gotta come up with a great song! And we gotta come up with one every time! And so for me, it was just putting in the sweat, the hours, the work and you'll write 50 songs. 45 of them aren't as good as you need them to be so you gotta write more. As the saying goes, inspiration is 99% perspiration. That is how it kinda works for me. I've worked with other writers where songs just fall out. I've had that happen too. I think part of it is you've just written so many songs that when a song comes through the air, by this point you're so trained in your brain that it enables the song to kind of fall out of your verses, having to just drag the muse out into the room. But it's just work. You've got to do the work. It's not easy.
Sometimes, it's not the most enjoyable thing. People ask, Carl, do you like writing? And, I say, I like having written. Hahaha! Because then, you've got that song under your belt. So, for me, all the albums are the same. You just gotta do the work and you gotta write songs and come up with something that you think is compelling. Something that you like and hope that other people will gravitate too as well. That's the way I look at it.
Right now, we're working on stuff with Aaron. I got a new lead singer, Aaron Scott. And, Aaron is a songwriter as well! He's been surprising on a lot of different levels. He was on The Voice, on Blake Shelton's team. We called him up! He's been great and he has some writing chops. That's great! So, we've been working on new stuff. We've got new music coming that we're really excited about! We're playing a new song live, called "Wanted."
And, a lot of that came from Aaron! That was an idea he came to the table with.
Historically, in FUEL, I always had to be the one that did the heavy lifting. So, it's kinda nice to have somebody that comes in with a real idea. That is something we can work with! That's been fun for me. I've written so much and have done it for so long that it's nice to have somebody that comes in and says, hey dude, I can help in this department! And, you take it and run with it. That's been great with Aaron!
Sophia: That's amazing! Sounds like you have real epic chemistry on stage and in the studio as well! Congrats on that!
Carl: That's hard to get! I know people just think bands are just fun and great. It looks fun when you're just seeing people on stage! You're seeing the result of a lot of stuff. For me, I want quality of life at this point. I'm way beyond what I ever thought I would have as a career. These guys. Great musicians and we just laugh all the time! It's a very enjoyable band at this point, right now. Me and Kevin laugh about it every day! This is nice now. This is what I always hoped a band would be. Now, that may change tomorrow! Hahaha! But, right now, I don't want to jinx it, but as of this interview, it is a very enjoyable band to be in!
Sophia: Sounds like heaven to me! You deserve it!
2021. You released your latest album, ÅNOMÅLY. You wrote all the lyrics; you performed all the instruments (except vocals and drums). And, you also recorded, arranged, produced and mixed the album. I'm awestruck!
What was the production process like for you Carl? How did you accomplish the album production for ÅNOMÅLY, and in what time frame?
Carl: It was certainly a labour of love! It was a lot of work for one person to do an entire record, without anybody else, is A LOT. It's 18 hours in a hole every day. The studio. It's fun. It's great, but you must put in the work.
At that moment, we were just trying to figure out what was happening with FUEL.
I was just coming back into having the band again, which I did not plan for. Suddenly, I have the band again! I just said, okay let's rock 'n' roll!
We didn't really have a record label so there was no budget at all. I just said let me see what I can do! I did a country project which was a tribute to my dad. My dad passed away in 2010. I did a song, when he was alive, for a family reunion when I couldn't be there. And, I wrote the song for him and I sent it to the family reunion. Anyway, that evolved into a country project. Point being, I had already done a country record for my dad, because I can't do a rock record for my dad! That wasn't gonna work hahaha! So, I knew already I could work through the system and put out a pretty good record. So, when the FUEL situation came about, I said, we’ll let me try that, with FUEL!
I started writing. I 've always written all the music and lyrics for the FUEL stuff. So, that wasn't different. I also co-produced most of the FUEL records as well. When I worked with Michael Beinhorn, he even said, wow, your demos are so complete! And this was 40 years ago!
I never want to get into the studio and spend a lot of money trying to hash out a song. I want the song to be there and be ready to go. A lot of the stuff that I did in my demos are on the FUEL records as well. The big thing was mixing. And, mixing is a whole different level. You're trying to compete with all the great mixers on the planet that you've already known.
20 years ago, there were probably 10 mixers in the world that you'd send your mixes to. Like Chris Lord-Alge, Tom Lord-Alge, Ben Grosse. You can almost name them on one hand. So, for me to mix something that everyone's going to hear, that was daunting. And, we actually sent the mixes out to a few of the guys. I did a blind taste test and sent out my version and the other guy's version to the band. They all picked my mixes. So, I said, guess I'm gonna be mixing this record! I'm proud of that record as a body of work because start to finish, everything is all me. So, if there's a complaint, I can't say that guy mixed that song wrong! I took amazing amounts of time to try and get it as best as I could do it on the gear that I had. So, that's a cool record for me in that respect. That's what I can do, when I'm pressed to do it! And, I was pretty happy with the end result. Thank you so much!
Sophia: Please share with your fans. I've read that many of your lyrics are deeply personal. Clearly, this resonates with your listeners. In general, what can you tell us about your songwriting?
Carl: I think you must write about what you know. If you write about what you know, you'll get an accurate picture of it. I was always impressed, back in the day, when I heard Taylor Swift writing. She wrote that song "15". When you're 15 and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them. And, that Olivia Rodrigo song "Driver’s license". Those songs hit hard because you can hear the truth in those songs.
As a songwriter, I can appreciate that! I think that resonates with people. When they hear truth in your lyrics and when they see themselves in your lyrics, and they are touched by what you're saying because perhaps they're going through the same thing or at some point in their life, they've felt that experience as well.
For me, it's just natural what comes out when I write. I've heard people say lyrics aren't that important. But for me, I always like Don Henley lyrics. Great songs, great melodies, great music. I love songs where you hear the lyrics, and they grab you. They're engaging. I think that's something I've always wanted to do with the FUEL audience.
Sophia: I agree. With great lyrics, you can reach a greater audience and have the potential of touching hundreds of thousands of hearts or more!
Carl: Yup. Going back to the Olivia Rodrigo song "Driver's License,"or Taylor Swift's song "15," or Miranda Lambert's song "The House That Built Me". I mean, those songs man, they stop you in your tracks when you hear the lyrics. The song is great but when you hear the lyrics, that's when it really captures you and you completely stop and go WOW. Those are the moments that I enjoy as a listener, and that's what I hope FUEL songs do for people.
Sophia: You're so very humble! I truly appreciate and respect that!
You've opened for RockNRoll legends VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH. Staggering! Please share 1 or 2 memories or highlights from these supreme tours.
Carl: Dude. Opening for those bands, they're legends for me! Just to open for those bands are like pinch yourself moments. It's like this is happening, and it's happening to me! And, it's beyond my wildest dreams of what I'd be doing.
I'm a small-town boy from a little town in Tennessee! So, this is like, way beyond the radar! We opened for VAN HALEN back in the day. And, they called us backstage and said, hey Eddie wants to meet you! Dude, Eddie is WHY I play guitar! I don't know how old you are, but back in the day, a penny would get you 10 albums if you joined this Columbia music record club or something like that. And, I bought all the Van Halen I could buy at that time.
Sophia: I'm 25, but Eddie Van Halen is my hero too! I listened to Van Halen all my life because of my parents!
Carl: Eddie is the GOAT in my book. It was just like unbelievable! I still can't play anything Eddy ever played. But he's still why I picked up the guitar! So, to hear somebody come into your dressing room and say, hey Eddie wants to meet you guys! It’s like, your heart stops. So, I go back, we walk into a dressing room, and there's Eddie Van Halen standing there. He's playing his signature guitar model at the time, and I'm just totally freaked out. Eddie says hey, I love your band and glad you guys are opening for us!
Then, Eddie says, hey do you wanna play my guitar? He takes his guitar off and hands it to me. What are you gonna play when Eddie Van Halen gives you a guitar?! Hahaha! So, I'm super hyper curious as to like, is there magic in this guitar? How's the action? Are the strings high or are they low? I'm just trying to digest this moment. There's like a billion levels of input coming into my silly little brain at the time. I play a little bit on the neck, and I play a C chord, G chord, D chord. And I go oh! That's great, and I hand it back to him. Because what are you gonna do? It's Eddie Van Halen! So, I played a C chord, G chord and D chord. He was so fantastic! So humble, and just that cheerful Eddie you always saw on stage, smiling. And it was just a mind-blowing experience! It was just great! That's just one story.
The Aerosmith stories were great. We had great times with them too. So, all those guys are legends for us. Again, way off the radar of anything I ever expected to be able to happen in my lifetime!
Sophia: Beautiful. I love that story! Thanks for sharing that!
Your current rock star line-up is:
You, Carl Bell – lead guitar, backing vocals, occasional keyboards
(1993–2010, 2020–present)
Kevin Miller – drums (1998–2004, 2020–present)
Mark Klotz – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)
Tommy Nat – bass, backing vocals (2020–present)
Aaron Scott – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2022–present)
I know you're touring heavy this Summer. On August 31st, FUEL is playing the Creed - Summer of '99 And Beyond Festival at Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA with The Verve Pipe, Finger 11, 3 Doors Down, Hinder, Daughtry, Vertical Horizon, Dorothy, and Creed!
A stellar lineup of bands! This summer festival is gonna ROCK!
Carl, can you share a teaser? What can your fans expect to hear from FUEL at your upcoming concert series?
Carl: Well, we're gonna come out and play the hits like we always do! We'll play "Hemorrhage," and "Shimmer," "Won't Back Down," the "Daredevil" soundtrack and all the songs you've mentioned already. That, you're gonna get all the time! Back in the day, I remember playing with some bands and they didn't wanna play their hits. If you don't wanna play your hits, don't write them! That makes no sense to me, right? It's just the silliest thing. And so, I enjoy going out and playing "Hemorrhage" and "Shimmer" every night and I wish I had a thousand more of those songs. I'll be playing the hits! Hahaha! So, when you come to see a FUEL show we're going to play all the songs you know and love from FUEL. And, we're going to add some new ones.
Aaron has been great. Aaron wants to honor the past because Aaron is a huge FUEL fan. He sang "Hemorrhage" on The Voice. And, that's what Blake turned around on. He sang our song "Hemorrhage". I didn't even know him at the time! So, Blake turned around and that's how we came to know Aaron Scott. So, that's a cool story for him!
I mean, he came in and started singing these songs. He's like, I can sing all these songs right now! I know the whole catalog! And, it's very important for him and for us, to honor what was there before, because we know the past FUEL, and so we try to honor what was there before. And, add a new twist to it because it is different now than what it was then and we understand that.
When you come see a FUEL show, that's what we're trying to do. We're playing the tunes that you know and love and giving them all the proper honor and respect that we can give them and with high energy! That's what we do. I want our sound to be great and our lives to be great. It's important for us, that when you come see a FUEL show, you get your money's worth. I want you to be like that was great! I want to see those guys again! And, that's important for us.
We never phone in a show or just get up there and go through the motions. It's a passionate piece. A passionate 45 or hour and a half. I feel honored. My dad worked in the factory. All my guys are all from the same kind of level. We all came from blue collar families. So, for me, to be able to play shows, play music, that's an honor. I understand how rare that is. And, so we go out every night with full hearts and souls to give the best show we can give.
Sophia: That answers gonna make me cry, man! Oh my god! Hahaha!
Carl: We're happy too, man! It's so cool to be with CREED! That's a band we toured with way back in the day. I mean we toured with them back so far, they got their trailer stolen in the early days. We gladly loaned them all our gear for that one night because they got their entire trailer stolen with all their gear. So, that's how long we go back with them! And, they've always been great to us. And you know, we toured with THREE DOORS DOWN back in the day! So, a lot of these bands we have a history with as well. We just did that CREED Cruise with a lot of these same bands also. And, the cruise was great! So, we're just excited to get back together with those guys again for this show!
Sophia: Awww! It's gonna be epic! I wish I could be there for that, man! That's definitely my kind of festival!
Carl: It's been fun. The CREED cruise was great with all these bands. It was a lot of fun to get back together and play these songs. This is our history! It's just nice to revisit all those moments.
Sophia: Here is my last question for you Carl.
Do you have anything you'd like to say to your fans, old and new, as they eagerly anticipate FUEL'S next album?
Carl: I'm excited about what is happening within the FUEL world right now. Again, Aaron Scott, great vocalist! And he's a great guy! He's bringing a lot of ideas to the table as well. We have songs right now. In the can! And, we have one song recorded already. It's very exciting and I think the fans are gonna be excited when they hear it!
Again, we understand that we have a history. We're not abandoning that history, but we want to expand on the history that we have as FUEL. And, put a record out where we have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, kind of album. I'm excited! We've got 4 or 5 songs now that we're really loving and working. We're getting a timeline together for when we can get this out. And, when we can get it out right. But bear with us, we've got some cool things coming for the next FUEL album.
We're currently touring right now. I think you'll love it if you see this band and what we're doing right now. It's a cool time for FUEL.
Sophia: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today, Carl. Another amazing album coming soon! I'm a mega fan of your work! YOU absolutely rock Carl Bell! Rock On ROCK STAR!
Back with a vengeance! Long live FUEL! Long live Rock-'n'-roll!
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
