Rick Musallam and Colin Keenan are MOTHER EFF

Take an accomplished and versatile composer/guitarist from Lebanon and a Berklee classical composition alum who's fronted two hard rock bands and you get the dynamic collaboration that is MOTHER EFF. The debut album ARE WE FAMOUS YET? combines powerful vintage rock groove with melodic pop quirkiness. Their infectious sound is influenced by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Joe Jackson and will resonate with fans of Stone Temple Pilots, Silverchair and Queens of the Stone Age.

Guitarist Rick Musallam found his passion for music in his hometown of Beirut, forming his first band at age 12. After moving to the U.S. and settling in L.A., he quickly established himself as an in-demand hired gun, playing and recording with The Roots, Gwen Stefani, Carly Simon and Frank Zappa band alum Mike Keneally. Musallam met Colin Keenan, former hard rock frontman for Touched and I, Claudius, through mutual friend and fellow musician Wes Wehmiller (1971-2005). Musallam and Keenan played together for the first time at concert organized in Wehmiller's memory. They began writing together in 2006 and their explosive chemistry quickly yielded a batch of powerful, hook-filled tunes that would become MOTHER EFF's catchy modern rock sound.

MOTHER EFF's vintage rock vibe comes from Keenan's gritty, searing vocals and Musallam's edgy, smart guitars. Bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Wayne Kramer) and drummer Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa, Lisa Loeb), one of L.A.'s leading rock rhythm sections, provide a solid foundation for the kinetic grooves. Additional musical firepower comes from keyboardist Jeff Babko (James Taylor, Robben Ford), guitarist Mike Olekshy (Alison Ray, Max Morgan), and Mike Keneally on guitar and keys. And with the expert touch of engineer/producer Erich Gobel (Dashboard Confessional, Black Sabbath, Earth, Wind and Fire), the MOTHER EFF sound contains just enough polish for the songs to shine and leaves plenty of raw energy to make you sit up and take notice.