Emerson Drive

Long before the Nashville chart runs, Emerson Drive started out in 1995 as 12 Gauge, a band that grew out of a high school talent contest in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Fronted by Brad Mates, the group changed its name after moving to Tennessee in 1999, when it learned a rapper already held the title. The new name came from the Emerson Trail, which crosses western Alberta and joins the Alaska Highway. Today the Canadian country act is built around Mates on lead vocals, with Danick Dupelle on guitar, Mike Melancon on drums and Dale Wallace on keyboards.

Their debut album arrived in May 2002 on DreamWorks Nashville, with Richard Marx brought in to produce two late additions. "I Should Be Sleeping" climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country chart, and "Fall into Me" reached No. 3 in 2003. What If?, released in July 2004, debuted at No. 12 on the Top Country Albums chart, and the band opened for Shania Twain on her tour. After DreamWorks closed, they moved to Midas Records Nashville, where Countrified yielded "Moments", their only American number-one single.