Y101

 With the release of its fourth studio album, Believe, Emerson Drive secures its place as the premiere band in contemporary Country music. The album, produced by Josh Leo and Teddy Gentry (of the legendary country band Alabama), showcases all of the attributes that have fueled the group's rise through the country ranks--lead singer Brad Mates' passionately expressive vocals; the extraordinary musicianship of band mates Danick Dupelle (guitar), Dale Wallace (keys), David Pichette (fiddle) and Mike Melancon (drums); the quintet's ability to choose first-rate songs, coupled with their own growth as songwriters; and their ability to capture in the studio the energy that is the foundation of their success.

Emerson Drive's success grew out of a dream that began in Brad's hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. A selfless camaraderie has kept them united through the years, and a tireless work ethic continues to make them one of country's busiest bands. Non-stop touring (their old bus recently passed the one-million mile mark) has won them fan loyalty that has been a key to their longevity.

"We have fans that have been with Emerson Drive since the beginning," says David. "They're still very dedicated. During the years when we were going through lean times and we weren't being heard on the radio as much as we would have liked, they were buying tickets and supporting us. People believed in this band and continue to believe in us, and that means everything."

The journey began when Brad, who grew up with his dad's George Strait and Don Williams records, was inspired after an 11th grade talent contest to start a band with some classmates. They began life as 12 Gauge, but soon became Emerson Drive, taking their name from the Emerson Trail, which crosses western Alberta to join the Alaskan Highway.

The members of Emerson Drive moved to Nashville and released a 2002 self-titled album that featured two breakthrough Top 5 hits "I Should Be Sleeping" and "Fall Into Me," as well as follow-up hit "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)." The band also received their very first #1 video on CMT with "Fall Into Me." Their second album, What If, gave them four Top 15 Canadian hits and one Top 20 in the U.S. but following a corporate restructuring, they parted ways with DreamWorks Records.

They continued touring, and their story took a dramatic turn in the right direction when producer Leo and Alabama's Gentry came to see them play. "They blew us away," says Gentry, who called them "possibly the best band I've heard in years as far as playing live on stage."

Leo and Gentry believed in Emerson Drive and agreed to work with them before they signed their next record deal. The band joined forces with Midas Records in 2005 and released Countrified, which spawned the band's hits, "A Good Man," and the career-changing #1 "Moments."

The video for "Moments" was named Video of the Year at Inspirational Country Music awards and The Canadian Country Music Awards.  The song "Moments" also garnered the group their very first Grammy nomination.  These accolades add to the long list of accomplishments by the band. With numerous nominations and awards from The Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association, The Canadian Country Music Association, The Christian Country Music Association, The Junos (Canada's Music Awards) and a "Reader's Choice Award" from College Campus Activities for two successful college market tours during 2006 and 2007.

Even beyond "Moments,", the group's members are the perfect musical ambassadors, creating their own Country style out of backgrounds that span the musical spectrum. Not long ago on a cruise to the Bahamas, David, who is a classically trained violinist, joined a string trio entertaining on board. "We started out playing Mozart," he says, "but we ended up playing 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia,' with two fiddles, a double bass and classical guitar. And none of them spoke English!"

In both their musical and personal dealings, they are fulfilling a life-long dream.

"We hoped from the very beginning of our career that we could do something special," says Brad.

"What's cool about what we do," adds Danick, "is that there's always something good, something new happening. That keeps us on our toes and gets us excited. It's what keeps us motivated."

These days, those changes are all for the better. On the personal side, three of the five have gotten married within the past year—Mike, Brad and David—and David and his wife Jill welcomed their first child. For guys who've spent their young adulthood on the road pursuing musical dreams, getting married represents a major milestone.

"We've been together on the road for such a long time," says Mike, "that it's the same thing as a bunch of brothers growing up. You see everyone's lives changing. It's kind of nice sometimes to stand back and see how everybody is evolving."

On the musical side, their recent partnership with The Valory Music Co. brings them back in contact with executives who had roles in their early success. "It's kind of funny how things come full circle in this business and in life," says Brad. "We're dealing again with people we held in very high regard for the amount of work they put into our group in the first few years. There's some unfinished business we all wanted to take care of and didn't have the opportunity to finish because of merging labels and the rest of it. It's nice to be able to come back to a place where we feel 100 percent confident in our team."

"Everything is running on all cylinders," adds Dale. "We believe this is our time."