Interview with Finger Eleven: Rich Beddoe Talks Heat, Humidity and Keeping Music Honest in a Changing Industry.

May 1st, 2008

There’s something fitting about catching up with Finger Eleven in South Florida, where the air feels thick enough to slow you down but somehow never does. For a band that has spent the better part of a year and a half zigzagging across the country, from dry desert nights to sweat-soaked coastal stops, this is just another chapter in a never-ending road story.

“Everywhere we go has been a different temperature each day,” drummer Rich Beddoe said. “You never really know what you’re going to get. But it’s definitely nice to be in Florida.”

Nice, but not exactly predictable. One morning starts with a walk along the water. The next might be spent hunting for shade or loading into another venue. Jumping in the ocean? Not quite.

“I looked at it and was looking for a way out,” he laughed. “Didn’t want to get stuck out there.”

That balance between humor and honesty has always defined the band. Touring life, while rewarding, is not exactly built for comfort. Months blur together. Home becomes more of a concept than a place.

“We took December and January off,” Beddoe said. “Our singer was sick, so it gave us a chance to recharge. It’s not the healthiest lifestyle being out here this much, but it’s also a bad sign when you’re not busy.”

Busy has never been the problem.

From late night television appearances to unexpected stages, Finger Eleven has found itself in situations few rock bands could have predicted. One of the more surreal stops came in Las Vegas, where they served as the live soundtrack for the bikini portion of the Miss USA pageant.

“There were like 15 girls walking by us while we played for about nine and a half minutes,” Beddoe said. “Over a billion people watching. Donald Trump sitting in the front row. That was probably the wackiest thing we’ve done.”

The randomness of those moments reflects a career that has never followed a straight line. Songs like “Paralyzer” and “One Thing” became massive hits, landing everywhere from Dragon Ball Z to late night television, but the band never allowed success to dictate direction.

“Paralyzer did so great for us and it’s still not going away,” he admitted. “But it’s nice to start talking about a different song for once.”

That next chapter came in the form of “Keep Your Memories Vague,” a more restrained, reflective track that showed a different side of the band. For Finger Eleven, that contrast is intentional. Every record is meant to stretch, not repeat.

“We try to make a record where any song could be a single,” Beddoe explained. “Everything we create is kind of like our baby. Just because one grows up and becomes successful doesn’t mean you love the others any less.”

That mindset extends into how the band operates internally. There’s no frontman calling all the shots, no hierarchy dictating decisions. It’s five members, equal say, and one simple rule. If someone isn’t fully on board, it doesn’t move forward.

“There’s no leader in our band,” Beddoe said. “If someone can’t get behind something, we don’t do it.”

It’s a slower process, but one that has kept them intact while the industry around them has shifted dramatically.

“When we started, it was about being unique,” he said. “Now it feels like people are trying to emulate what already works. That individual sound isn’t celebrated the same way.”

Still, he does not see that as permanent.

“It’s cyclical,” he added. “There’s always a reaction. Things swing back.”

That belief in cycles, in patience, in letting music evolve naturally, is what keeps Finger Eleven grounded. They are not chasing trends or viral moments. They are writing because they want to, not because they feel they have to.

“We don’t really know what we’re going to make next,” he said. “It just comes out of us.”

And what comes out is rarely confined to one lane. Their influences stretch far beyond traditional rock, pulling from everything from classical to country to Alicia Keys, whose song “No One” has remained a personal favorite.

“If it’s good, it’s good,” Beddoe said. “If it’s bad, it’s bad. It’s all music.”

That openness has even led to conversations about unexpected collaborations, whether it’s working with producers like Timbaland or entertaining the idea of crossing genres entirely.

“If Garth Brooks wanted me to drum on a record, I’d be all about it,” he said. “We’re all players. We just love music.”

It’s also what keeps their live shows unpredictable. A performance of “Paralyzer” might suddenly shift into a medley, borrowing from other songs that share its groove, a reminder that even their biggest hit is just another piece of a larger puzzle.

While the music continues to evolve, the road ahead remains just as demanding. International legs across Europe and Australia are lined up, and even more material is already taking shape behind the scenes.

“We’re very good at writing,” Beddoe joked. “We’re not always the best at releasing. But there’s an agenda now. There will be a record.”

For a band that has already built a catalog spanning decades, the focus is not on recreating past success. It’s about building something that reflects growth, even if that means losing some listeners along the way.

“You’re going to lose fans and gain fans,” he said. “That’s just part of it. We just try to get better.”

Backstage, between soundchecks and long drives, that philosophy carries through. Guitarist James Black has been pushing visual concepts that lean cinematic, even flirting with ideas that feel more like film than music video.

“Something almost apocalyptic,” Beddoe said. “Maybe exaggerated. Like a kung fu movie.”

It sounds ambitious, maybe even a little chaotic. Then again, so has their entire journey.

Through industry changes, unexpected TV moments, endless touring miles, and a catalog that refuses to stay in one place, Finger Eleven continues to operate on its own terms. No formulas. No chasing what is popular. Just five guys, a shared respect for the process, and a belief that authenticity still matters.

And if South Florida taught them anything this time around, it’s that even in the heaviest humidity, the engine still runs.

“Tonight it’s rock n’ roll time,” Beddoe said. “The beach can wait.”