Partlow signed her first contract as a 14-year-old, climbing aboard the Virgin Records roster in 2002 and releasing her debut record two years later. She spent the summer of 2005 touring in support of adolescent heartthrob Jesse McCartney, but when Virgin decided to restructure its lineup later that year, Partlow found herself dropped from the label. Finding it difficult to proceed without a company's backing, she turned to her own touring guitarist, Ryan Wilson. The two struck up a romantic and musical partnership; they also formed a two-person band, Hope & Ryan, in 2007. The group renamed itself the Love Willows after vocalist Sara Rachele climbed aboard, and despite Rachele's subsequent exit several months later, Partlow and Wilson decided to move forward as a duo. The Love Willows landed a contract with Decca Records in April 2008, and their summery feel-good anthems began to appear in several MTV shows, including The Hills and the season finale of The Real World: Hollywood. A full-length album, Hey, Hey, also arrived that year. ~ Andrew Leahey