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The "If You're Forced To" Interview: Finger Eleven

Talk about a bonding experience. While recording their latest album, Them vs. You vs. Me, the five members of Finger Eleven shared a single room next door to the studio, sleeping on cots. They played endless hours of Guitar Hero (lead singer Scott Anderson was the undisputed champ, maybe because he didn't have a real guitar to distract him), drank liters of vodka and PBR, and hashed their way through over 100 songs they had written and/or recorded at home in the months leading up to the recording process. The result is the Canadian band's most eclectic set of songs yet.

We caught up with guitarist James Black and asked him a few quick questions about Finger Eleven's influences and interests—and about what he rather would have been drinking instead of all that PBR.

No one likes to answer these questions... but if you were forced to...

...classify your music in a genre, what would it be?

Rock.

...tell us your influences, who would they be?

Born and raised on the Beatles. Then Jimmy Page, Dave Gilmour, Slash, John Frusciante, James Hetfield, Dave Navarro...

...cover a song by Bon Jovi, which one?

I don't really identify with Jon Bon, but I have seen a thousand faces and rocked them all.

...live in one city forever, which city?

Barcelona.

...drink only one beer, which beer?

Alexander Keith’s.

...pick a favorite song on your new record, which one?

"Them Vs. You Vs. Me." It perfectly captures the time and place the song was written. It's like a time machine every time I hear it.

...pick your dream band to open for (past or present), who would it be?

Early era, Peter Gabriel Genesis or Faith No More.

Finger Eleven's new album, Them vs. You vs. Me, is available now in the ARTISTdirect Store.