Music Style melodic alternative

Musical Influences finger eleven, Incubus, tool, StainD, Joydrop

Similar Artists Tori Amos, Joydrop, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morrisette, Melissa Etheridge, Jewel, Ani Difranco

Artist History Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, factor eight is a high energy melodic alternative five-piece band that has managed to turn many heads with their unique sound. Formed in late 2000, the band is composed of singer Becky Abbott, guitarists Andrew Bergeron and Jeff Logan, bassist Ryan Berthiaume, and drummer Marc Waters. After only a few months of writing and performing, factor eight recorded their first two-song acoustic EP titled "Free". Released in June of 2001, the title track of their EP quickly became an infectious hit with their fans and a crowd favourite at their shows. The growing popularity of the band led them to shows at such established venues as Babylon, Bumpers, the Underground, the Elbow Room, and even the Ottawa Civic Centre. In addition, factor eight have won numerous Battle of the Bands, most notably the Eastern Ontario Regional Music Fest and Nepean Showcase The band has also been featured a number of times on local television network CTV. The band has also used technology to spread their sound throughout the world. Their songs are featured on mp3.com, Besonic.com, the Internet Underground Music Archive (iuma.com), Tunevault.com, and many more web sites. As well, their songs have received rave reviews at garageband.com and godsofmusic.com and attracted the attention of international listeners. factor eight's songs are diverse, drawing from many different genres: from folk to jazz, alternative to classical, metal to pop. All of these elements combine to form a unique melodic experience that is not to be forgotten. The future holds endless possibilities for factor eight as they continue to develop their sound and mature musically.

Group Members Becky Abbott - vocals Andrew Bergeron - guitar, backing vocals Jef Logan - guitar Ryan Berthiaume - bass, keyboards Marc Waters - drums, backing vocals

Instruments vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums

Albums free EP (2001), Wounded EP (2002)

Press Reviews Godsofmusic.com Review of "Free" ARTIST: FACTOR EIGHT SONG: FREE GENRE: ALTERNATIVE / MOOD ROCK SIMILAR: JEWEL, INCUBUS Wow, this song is very refreshing. Although the band probably doesn't like when the press focus' on the fact that they have a female vocalist, I must point out that although I love some female singers, I can't call myself a huge fan, this band is a definite exception. "Free" is a song consisting of neatly written acoustic guitar, tambourine shakes, tribal drum tapping, acoustic harmonics, and a very soothing, uplifting female singer. Living here all my life, I have realized that good music in Canada is rarely ever "discovered," a very sad truth. I can only hope that this band gets a break someday. The strongest aspect of this song is the vocal harmonies. The singer knows exactly what she's doing, she is very confident, and it comes out in the music. Lyrically, I would've been sucked into this song a lot more if the script was a little deeper. The lyrics seem quite simple on the outside. The song does give off a nice vibe. Most likely the kind of vibe you'd get when you were driving home from a long night of work, turned on the radio, and playing was an upbeat, yet dark song that you loved came on. Overall, after hearing this song, I plan to download some more of these guys, and I look forward to hearing. "I'm free like I wanted to be now" Charisma: 9.00 Technical Skill: 6.50 Structure: 7.50 Interest: 8.00 Lyrics: 5.50 Performance: 7.50 Arrangement: 6.50 Recording Quality: 8.00 Long Term Appeal: 8.50 OVERALL: 7.60

Location Ottawa, ON - Canada

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