Biography of Emerson Drive

Getting their start in the Alberta town of Grande-Prairie, Emerson Drive seems like an unlikely group to break into the Nashville country scene. But sure enough, after six years of honing their live skills in Canada, the band traveled to Nashville and ended up impressing Dreamworks representatives so much that they earned a record contract. The band, consisting of vocalist Brad Mates, guitarist Danick Dupelle, bassist Jeff Loberg, keyboardist Chris Hartman, fiddler Pat Allingham, and drummer Mike Melancon, signed the contract and stepped into the studio in late 2001. Their eponymous debut arrived in May 2002 after a recording session that saw the band collaborating with producers Julian King and Richard Marx. ~ Bradley Torreano