311 Biography
American rock group 311 hails from Omaha, Nebraska, and is pronounced “three eleven.” Bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, drummer Chad Sexton, lead guitarist Jim Watson, and guitarist and vocalist Nick Hexum founded the band in 1988. Tim Mahoney took Watson’s position in 1990. Doug “SA” Martinez joined in 1992 and contributed turntables and singing.
311’s first independent release was the Downstairs EP, which was recorded in 1989 in Nick Hexum’s basement. It didn’t have a cover image like many of their other releases. It includes the song “Feels So Good,” which was reworked and remastered for the album Music and is a mainstay of the majority of 311’s live performances.
Dammit!, their second independent release, was recorded at IEV Studios in Papillion, Nebraska, and released by 311 in 1990 on 300 cassettes. Jim Watson was replaced on the guitar by Tim Mahoney in 1991, and 311 issued Unity, their third independent album, which was recorded at Rainbow Recording Studios in Omaha. Unity had 500 cassettes and 1000 CDs manufactured; they were sold at concerts and distributed through consignment. In 1993, they released Music, their debut studio album. Modern rock radio stations played the tune “Do You Right,” which peaked at No. 27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks list. But the record didn’t do well in the charts at the time. Eddy Offord, best known for producing Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, produced the album.
The self-titled 311 was released by 311 in 1995 (also known as The Blue Album). In contrast to their previous two albums, in which all instruments were recorded individually, the album, which was produced by Ron St. Germain, was recorded live. Don’t Stay Home, the first song, had a minor amount of success, peaking at No. 29 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks list. However, the follow-up song “Down,” which was released 14 months after the album, got a lot of exposure on mainstream radio, and the music video for it was frequently played on MTV. On the Modern Rock chart, the song peaked at No. 1. On August 23, the band appeared for the first time on network television during Late Night with Conan O’Brien. “All Mixed Up,” the third single, achieved nearly identical success and peaked at No. 4 on the Modern Rock chart. Additionally, they performed “Down” on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Thirteen studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, four EPs, and four DVDs have all been published by 311. Following a string of independent albums, 311 was signed to Capricorn Records in 1992 and saw some measure of success with the albums Music (1993) and Grassroots (1994). Their 1995 self-titled triple platinum album, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the singles “Down” and “All Mixed Up,” the former of which topped the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 1996, brought them additional success.
Transistor (1997), Soundsystem (1999), and From Chaos (2001) were commercially successful, with the first going platinum and the final two going gold. Greatest Hits ’93-’03, their 2004 compilation CD, was also awarded a platinum certification. The band’s most recent studio album, Voyager, was released in 2019. Over 8.5 million copies of 311’s music have been sold in the US as of 2011.
On June 23, 2017, Mosaic was made available, and it received favorable reviews. It was their 12th studio album and their 10th straight to make its US Billboard 200 Top 10 debut. With 39,000 album-equivalent units, of which 37,000 were sales of just the album, it debuted at number six.
The first single from Mosaic, “Too Much to Think,” was made available by the group on March 9. The singles “Too Late” and “Perfect Mistake” were then released by 311. After the original guitarist for the band was detained for streaking, the band took its name from the Omaha police code for indecent exposure.
Discography
| Uplifter |  |
| Don’t Tread on Me | |
| Evolver | |
| From Chaos | |
| Soundsystem | |
| Transistor | |
| 311 | |
| Grassroots | |
| Music | |
Top Videos
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is The Lead Singer Of 311?
The lead singer of 311 is Nick Hexum. He has been with the band since its inception in 1988. He is also one of the band’s primary songwriters and vocalists.
What Genre Is 311?
311 is a band from Omaha, Nebraska. They are considered to be part of the alternative rock, rap rock, and reggae fusion genres.
What Was 311 First Album?
The First album by 311 was Unity. It was released on August 28, 1991. The album featured the hit single “Do you Right” which reached number one on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on November 12, 1991. It was certified platinum on April 7, 1992. 311’s Unity Tour began on September 5, 1991 in Boulder, Colorado and ended on December 31, 1991 in Omaha, Nebraska.
How Many Songs 311 Was Singing?
311 was singing a total of 21 songs on their setlist. This included 3 songs from their latest album and 2 covers.
What Is The Name Of 311 Famous Song?
The song is called “Amber.” It was released in 1992 and was a huge hit, reaching number one on the Billboard charts. The song is about a relationship between two people who are unable to be together.
Most Searched For Songs
| Amber | |
| Love Song | |
| Down | |
| All Mixed Up | |
| I’ll be here Awhile | |
| Sunset in July | |
| Beautiful Disaster | |
| Homebrew | |