From 1998 Radio Staple to 2026 Viral Sensation: the Rise and Return of Eve 6
Eve 6 did not emerge from a gritty, decade-long club residency. Collins and guitarist Jon Siebels formed the group under the moniker Eleventeen while attending Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California. Joined soon after by drummer Tony Fagenson, the trio possessed a frantic, polished sound that merged Southern California punk with arena-ready power pop. Record executives were circling the band before any member could legally purchase a beer.
RCA Records representative Brian Dawkins signed the band under an artist development deal while Collins and Siebels were still finishing their high school coursework. Working with producer Don Gehman, known for his career-defining work with John Mellencamp and R.E.M., the band entered the studio to track their 1998 debut album, *Eve 6*. The record’s crown jewel was "Inside Out," a track Collins penned after a turbulent breakup with his high school girlfriend. Gehman captured the performance with crisp, radio-forward dynamics: clean basslines in the verses giving way to massive walls of distorted guitars on the downbeat.
