Fear Zero

Toronto, Canada

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About

If it's true that there is nothing to fear but fear itself, than Fear Zero has taken its name wisely.

"Fear Zero doesn't mean fear," insists leader Ed Sadler, "It's sort of an anti-fear. Don't be afraid of taking chances.

Fear Zero's new album, Whole Damn Nation, is an example of chance taking. It incorporates a wide variety of styles from hard rock to simple pop to reggae.

Although Sadler grew up listening to rock and metal, a few years at Capilano College taught him to accept all kinds of music. Not to fear it but to follow instincts.

"I would say it comes from a place that is a love for music," Sadler adds. "I tried to write songs that made me happy. It's just ideas. You collect ideas as time goes on. If it's a good idea, I'm all for it. If one were a genius, they might have an iron fist, but to me all that matters is whatever makes the song better."

Thus Fear Zero has developed. Although there has been a Fear Zero for six years, it has taken time for Sadler to realize his ambition. "It was my project." The singer/guitarist recounts. "I wanted to start a band. In the early days, I'd write a song but I didn't know where it was going. Eventually, I zeroed in on a direction."

The first Fear Zero release was virtually a one-man do-it-yourself undertaking. Sadler had the songs but didn't yet have a band. He hired the musicians, did the radio tracking, handled the distribution, and the bookings.

In his mind, though, there always was a Fear Zero. To put together the band that recorded the fourth album, he reached back to friends he'd made while growing up in Trail, B.C. The first person Sadler contacted was Tony Ferraro. "He's a smokin' drummer who can do other things, like sing and read music. That's really tough to find".

"Finding players that are on the same wavelength was tough. My technique has been honed by my jazz experience so I was trying to find guys who were technically good and could do their own thing."

Who else is Fear Zero? Bassist Martin Bertrand, whom Ferraro knew from Toronto, and Jeremy Harrison, the guitarist who has been a member of Fear Zero on past recordings and tours whom he met while the two taught at a local music store.

"I basically knew what I wanted," says Sadler. "I did the arranging and called upon much of my musical experience. The album is a fair representation of the band. It shows what they can do. It incorporates a lot of the elements I was interested in. Anywhere I can get my hands dirty on the creative side of things is where I want to go."

Which means following his instinct without fear....