Biography
While interning at a recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eric Fisher crossed paths with programmer and keyboardist Charlie Clouser. The distinctive tones Clouser coaxed from electronic instruments prompted Fisher to begin composing material using a sequencer and sampler. He soon recruited guitarist Steve Stagg and bassist Lou Louvenir to realize the project, and the three musicians eventually settled on the name Tapping the Vein. During vocalist auditions, Heather Thompson secured the role through the strength of her delivery. After completing an initial demo and playing local shows, Stagg and Louvenir departed, leaving Fisher and Thompson as a duo. The pair then enlisted guitarist Mark Burkert and bassist Joe Rolland to cut a follow-up demo. They began supporting stylistically aligned acts around their hometown, building a dedicated regional audience as their tracks also gained traction nationwide via MP3.com. In 2001 the duo signed with Nuclear Blast and tracked their first album, The Damage, which appeared the following year.