ARTIST

The Starting Line

Pennsylvanian punk-poppers The Starting Line originally came together in 1999 via version 2.0 of the old "vocalist wanted" flyer hanging at the local record store. Guitarist Matt Watts had a band called Sunday Drive. After seeing Ken Vasoli's AOL profile he invited him to jam with his band. Vasoli was soon installed as the bassist and singer, joining Watts, second guitarist Mike Golla, and drummer Tim Cryskiewicz.

Though barely out of high school, Sunday Drive started lining up shows and recording demos and aggressively marketed everything with the aid of buddy-old-pal AOL and listings on MP3.com. Cali indie We the People took notice of the MP3s and soon offered a deal. However, punk-pop powerhouse Drive-Thru saw an opportunity in the group's fresh faces and accessible melodies and swooped in to take control of the resulting demos. Sunday Drive wasn't going to argue -- with its highly successful roster (Simple Plan, Ataris, etc.) and MCA distribution deal, Drive-Thru was a dream come true.

By 2000 the quartet had become The Starting Line, and issued the With Hopes of Starting Over EP. Warped Tour dates followed, their Internet presence remained strong, and when their debut full-length Say It Like You Mean It dropped in 2002, it was met with enthusiastic kid support. The band again spent the summer as part of their second Warped Tour, and their video clip for the heartfelt emo pop ballad "Leaving" did quite well at MTV. A round of club dates supporting Home Grown were scheduled for autumn of that year.

Written by Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide