Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World Artistfacts

  • 1994-
    Jim AdkinsVocals, guitar
    Tom LintonGuitar, vocals
    Rick BurchBass1995-
    Zach LindDrums
    Mitch PorterBass1994-1995
  • Being dumped by their record label in 1999 may have been the best thing that ever happened to these guys. Since then they have broken through to the mainstream with #1 rock tracks like "The Middle" and "Pain."
  • Once on their own, they did a self-promoted tour of Europe using the van bought for them by the record company. They had never had records released anywhere but the United States.
  • In 2000, they played Germany's two biggest festivals, Bizarre and PopKomm, and in 2000 their 1999 album charted there. That helped raise money for future recordings.
  • They formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. Adkins and Lind had been friends since preschool and wanted to start a band with a punk rock edge.
  • Signed to Capitol Records in 1995 after a mere few months of playing locally.
  • Their debut album, Static Prevails, sold only 10,000 copies, but it's just gone up from there with the platinum-certified Bleed American and gold-certified Futures.
  • "Jimmy" is Linton's younger brother, who had a weight problem. Adkins' younger brother drew a picture on Jimmy's door of him putting a globe in his mouth, and wrote on it "Jimmy Eat World." That's how they got their name.
  • Adkins believes in crafting an album as a collection of potential singles. "It might sound conceited or arrogant to say," he told Performing Songwriter, "but when we hand in a record, the whole thing is singles. I've always though that. That's the place you gotta be when you're done with an album - to think every song is worthy of a 'Hey, here's my band' kind of level."
  • Adkins on doing covers: "It's tough because there are two ways to approach a cover. One is the karaoke version, which is fun because you get to pretend like you're in that band. And the other, which I find more fun, is to pick out the parts you like or things that mean something - whether it's lyrics or progression - and throw away everything you don't like and work off that. The song won't sound anything like the original when you're done, but at that point it's yours."
  • In their early days, the band was saddled with the emo label. Rick Burch reflected on the term: "We thought it was unfair to all the bands [who were called emo]," he told Fort Worth Weekly. "Our music could be very emotional, but so was Fred Durst's [former frontman for Limp Bizkit]. All the so-called 'emo' groups played different styles of music, but [some music writers] decided to concentrate on just one side of our sound."

Comments: 6

  • Jimmy Eat World from AmericaThanks For the support guys
    Make sure you check out our up and coming tours!!!
  • Megan from Los Angeles , Cai like the song hear you me
    a lot of people dont know the true meaning to the song. most people think its about just friends. find out the meaning and it will touch you
  • A.j. from Chicago, IlActually, Jimmy Eat World released "Bleed American" July 2001. That's the one with "The Middle" and "The Authority Song" and stuff. It was just re-released in October and the only thing they released were to words from the cover. The name of track #1 "Bleed American" was never officially changed, but some people still call it "Salt Sweat Sugar."

    I bought "Bleed American" September 10th, 2001.
  • Mike from Germantown, United StatesThey Were Going to call one of their albums Bleed American, but did'nt after 9/11.
  • Jon from Luton, EnglandJimmy Eat World rule, the lyrics 'The first star I see, may not be, a star' from their song 'For Me This Is Heaven' feature in Something Corporate's 'Konstantine'.
  • Everett from Providence, RiJimmy Eat World's real first album was self titled. Label or not its still an album. The second was called 1-2-3-4(an E.P.) and Clarity was thier fourth after Static Prevails. Many think their first was Bleed American but that was thier 5th. since 2002 they were thought to be a one hit wonder(The Middle), but they also released "Sweetness" which was a great song but not very popular. They are coming out with a new album called "Futures" in fall 2004. can't wait!
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