Nickelback
This melodic
hard rock band was formed in 1996 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, by
brothers Chad Kroeger (b. 15 November 1974; vocals/guitar) and Mike Kroeger (b.
25 June 1972; bass), their cousin Brandon (drums), and Ryan Peake (b. 1 March
1973;
guitar/vocals). In the same year they released the Hesher EP and their
long-playing debut
Curb
, both of which picked up a lot of airtime on Canadian radio stations.
Relentless touring helped promote their music throughout North America, with the
band going through several drummers before settling on Ryan Vikedal (b. 9 May
1975), an old friend of Peake's.
The State
was originally released on the band's own label, but their burgeoning
popularity was rewarded by a major recording contract with EMI Canada and heavy
metal label Roadrunner Records in the USA.
The State
proved to be Nickelback's major breakthrough in both countries, with two tracks
from the album, "Breathe" and "Leader Of Men", rising into
the Top 10 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. The powerful "How You Remind
Me' from 2001"s
Silver Side Up
became a staple on American rock radio, helping propel the album to number 2 on
the US album chart shortly after its release. The track eventually climbed to
the top of the Hot 100 in December and similar success followed in the UK. Chad
Kroeger enjoyed a transatlantic hit the following year with "Hero", a
collaboration with Saliva vocalist Josey Scott taken from the soundtrack of
Spiderman.