Formed in Chicago in 2008 by singer/guitarist Brian Mazzaferri, lead guitarist Packy Lundholm, bassist Hari Rao, and drummer Chad Van Dahm, the band released its debut EP, Cool Is Just a Number, in the summer of 2009. Their melodic pop-punk sound and quirky style quickly gained traction, and by year's end they had acquired management and signed on with The Agency Group to book their first national tour. The whirlwind continued in early 2010 as they signed a deal with Atlantic Records and began getting prominent song placements, most notably on a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view special and the series finale of The Hills. Welcome to the Breakdown, their second EP and first release for Atlantic, arrived in late 2010, followed a year later by their debut album, Kaboom! They continued to tour the country, spending much of 2012 on the Warped Tour. Their single "Save World Get Girl" was featured prominently on Nintendo Video and by 2013 they were back in the studio working on their second album. A collection of demos called DEMOlition arrived in early 2013, followed by the announcement that they were leaving Atlantic and would fund their next record via a crowdfunding platform. Their ensuing Kickstarter campaign was a runaway success and they delivered their second LP, The Near Future, in late 2014. ~ Timothy Monger