Wakefield's Ryan Escolopio (vocals/guitar), former Good Charlotte drummer Aaron Escolopio, J.D. Tennyson (guitar), and Mike Schoolden (bass) hail from Maryland. They had perfected their own bratty blend of pop-punk and post-grunge by around 2000. Tennyson and Ryan Escolopio became fast friends while still attending high school, bonding over Slipknot, Green Day, and the Police. The Escolopios' dad had played in a Journey/Chicago cover band when his sons were little, and naturally they followed in his footsteps.