Formed
1994 in Mesa, AZ, USA
Group Members Jim Adkins Rick Burch Zach Lind Tom Linton Mitch
Porter
Genres Rock, Punk
Styles Emo, Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock
Tones Energetic, Reflective, Fun, Freewheeling, Bittersweet,
Playful, Cathartic, Angst-Ridden, Brooding
Labels Universal International (5), Capitol (2), Big Wheel
Recreation (2)
Similar Artists: Jets to Brazil, Plain White T's, Sunday's Best,
Goner, Ace Troubleshooter, Appleseed, Something Corporate, Ultimate
Fakebook, Sunny Day Real Estate, Sense Field, Foo Fighters, Actual
Tigers, NOFX, blink-182, Weezer |
In the midst of mid-nineties
grunge reign, four childhood friends formed a band that would eventually
impact modern rock of the new millennium. Jimmy Eat World formed in 1994
with kindergarten pals Jim Adkins (vocals/guitar) and Zach Lind (drums),
Tom
Linton (guitar/vocals) and Mitch Porter (bass). The foursome derived the
band's moniker from Linton's younger brothers, Ed and Jimmy. Ed and Jimmy
had a fight one day and Ed resorted to drawing a picture of his cherubic
older brother eating the world with "Jimmy Eat World" printed beneath. The
band thought it was a perfect fit. Soon, they tinkered around with heavy
punk rock sounds, playing small shows around their native Mesa, AZ.
Influences ranged from Rocket from the Crypt, early Def Leppard, Jesus and
Mary Chain, Fugazi and The Velvet Underground, leaving Jimmy Eat World as a
work in progress.
Over the course of 1994 and
early 1995, Jimmy Eat World issued several EPs and singles on the Tempe, AZ
imprint, Wooden Blue Records. Limited edition pressings of "One, Two, Three,
Four," "Back From the Dead Mother Fucker" and split EPs with
Christie Front
Drive, Emery, and Blueprint would later run out of print. During this time,
the band gained a following. Capitol Records took notice and signed Jimmy
Eat World in mid-1995. Porter soon exited the group; Linton's best mate
since seventh grade, bassist Rick Burch was added to Jimmy Eat World and a
dynamic was officially in place. Static Prevails marked their major debut
later that year.
In 1998, the band found
themselves under the emo genre thanks to the intricately hard-edged, yet
sensitive second album, Clarity. It was a basic rock record and not exactly emo; Adkins' songwriting was at its finest. First single "Lucky Denver Mint"
was an instant hit among college radio. It scored a spot on the Drew
Barrymore love comedy Never Been Kissed in 1999, allowing Jimmy Eat World to
be exposed to a larger audience. Their fan base only continued to soar,
however their relationship with Capitol was beginning to sour. They recorded
a third LP for the label by 1999, but it was shelved. The decided to leave
the label and Capitol was happy to oblige.
Split releases with Sense
Field and Jebediah soon followed.
Jimmy Eat World's powerful
rock sound was attracting those overseas; Clarity was popular on the German
charts in 2000. That same year, the band funded and self-promoted their
first ever tour of Europe. Singles appeared on Big Wheel Recreation later
that year. During this jaunt, Jimmy Eat World redesigned their focus in
music. DreamWorks opted to take a chance on the band, and Jimmy Eat World
went back to work. They hooked up with Clarity's famed producer Mark Trombino (Blink-182, Midtown, Drive Like Jehu) for a follow-up.
Bleed
American, which would later be re-titled as Jimmy Eat World after the
horrific events of September 11th, was released in July 2001. "Bleed
American" did moderately well, but the second single, the catchy cool
"The
Middle" landed Jimmy Eat World on the pop/rock map. Spots on MTV's TRL and
VH-1, and tours with Weezer and Tenacious D proved golden. A year after its
release, Jimmy Eat World was still burning up the charts and modern rock
radio. A third single entitled "Sweetness" was released in summer 2002,
allowing Jimmy Eat World to achieve superstar status. — MacKenzie Wilson
Source:
www.allmusic.com |