Fuel is an American rock band formed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by guitarist-songwriter Carl Bell in 1989. They are known for their hit songs "Shimmer" from the album Sunburn, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" and "Bad Day" from the album Something Like Human, as well as "Falls on Me" from the album Natural Selection. The band has numerous top 10 Billboard rock hits, multiple videos in heavy rotation on MTV, numerous live network TV performances in the US, Canada, and Australia, platinum singles in Australia in addition to the US, and numerous songs on film soundtracks such as Scream 3, Daredevil, and Godzilla. The album Sunburn is certified platinum by the RIAA, and the album Something Like Human is certified double-platinum.
In 2013, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" became the No. 6 Alternative Rock song of the past 25 years according to Billboard's Alternative Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs.
What would become Fuel was formed in 1989 in the western Tennessee town of Kenton when childhood friends Carl Bell and Jeff Abercrombie began playing music together in junior high school and played in various garage bands. After graduating high school, Bell (who was a few years older than Abercrombie) headed to college where he met drummer Jody Abbott. Bell and Abbott formed a college campus band, Wanted (along with Robert Wagner and Mark Crawford), in Henderson, Tennessee. The band Wanted transitioned into Phoenix, which was a touring band for the college primarily used to recruit prospective students.[citation needed] After college, Bell and Abercrombie, who at the time was attending college at the University of Tennessee at Martin, reunited with Abbott and formed the band Reel Too Real, playing cover songs at local clubs in Tennessee and eventually becoming a national touring club circuit band. Bassist Jeff Abercrombie saw vocalist-guitarist Brett Scallions performing in a bar in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1992 and later recruited him to join in early 1993. Keyboardist Erik Avakian joined the group in 1993. During this time, Carl played guitar and provided backing vocals, Jeff played bass, Jody was on drums, Brett played guitar and sang lead vocals, and Erik played keyboards and shared singing duties on various songs. That same year, the band moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where they performed at local Pennsylvania bars & nightclubs under the name Reel Too Real, playing cover songs. The band made a choice to perform under a different name when showcasing its own original material. That name, for the time being, would be Small the Joy, which produced one self-released EP, a self-titled cassette tape, in 1994. The band then once again decided to change its name, this time settling on the name Fuel, before self-releasing their second EP, Porcelain, in 1996 as well as repackaging their first EP, Small the Joy, with the "Fuel" name on it. There were several names on a shortlist, but in the end, Fuel was the name everyone agreed on. Erik played keyboards and sang backing vocals before leaving the band in 1994. Porcelain sold well locally, spawning a small local radio hit with "Shimmer" even before being signed to a major label. The popularity of the EP brought them to the attention of Sony's 550 imprint, which released their third EP, Hazleton, the following year, 1998.

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