The Starting Line

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The Starting Line

Origin	Churchville, Pennsylvania, USA
Years active	1999–present
Genres	Rock, pop punk
Labels	Virgin Records
Members	Kenny Vasoli Matt Watts Mike Golla Tom Gryskewicz

The Starting Line is a four-piece pop punk band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. They formed in 1999 and are signed to Virgin Records. They were previously signed to Drive-Thru Records and Geffen Records.

1 History
2 Members
3 Discography
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e-mail from guitarist Matt Watts to vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the then fourteen-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read. Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future bandmates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. Initially, the band had another guitarist named Ryan Altmiller, who played with them for only two weeks and later went on to play in bands such as Racing Daylight and Shadows in Lakeland.^[1] Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home-made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette titled Four Songs. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, released on KickStart Audio in 2000.

Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the infamous We the People Records Sessions). Set for a release in December 2000, the twelve songs were initially planned to become the band's debut full-length With Hopes of Starting Over on We the People Records, but they ended up serving only as demos for tracks on future releases, as the band signed with Drive-Thru Records in April 2001.^[2] On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over. Yet, as the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, they went on as The Starting Line.

On July 16, 2002, almost exactly one year after the release of their EP, the full-length Say It Like You Mean It followed. The songs ranged from energetic and fast-paced to melancholy and calm, dealing with performing on stage ("Given the Chance"), feeling homesick ("Left Coast Envy") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend Karina ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", among others). The hit single "The Best of Me" and its two music videos, as well as the second single "Leaving", received heavy radio and TV airplay, securing The Starting Line a spot on the Warped Tour.

Due to their desire to put out new material, the band decided to release an all-unplugged EP, recorded in three sessions over the following year. The first three songs (recorded in The Prize Fight's Bob Jones' bedroom in August 2002), the second session (recorded in Vasoli's basement in March 2003) and the last track (recorded on the band's touring bus in April 2003) became The Make Yourself at Home EP, released on November 25, 2003. The CD and the DVD version issued simultaneously, featuring an acoustic set performed live at Skate & Surf 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, would be their last releases put out solely on Drive-Thru Records, as The Starting Line was signed by Geffen Records soon afterwards.

Their major label debut, Based on a True Story, came out in May 2005. Lyrically, the band dissociated themselves from the post-relationship formula that was predominant on their previous records. The otherwise very positive and cheerful album was overshadowed by several rather angry songs, written to spite the band's record label. Songs like "Inspired by the $" featured lyrics that are unmistakably directed at Geffen: "Get to the point/Get it across/To the boys at the top of the ladder I'm climbing up/I have my doubts". Another section of the song refers to a meeting the band had with the label's executives, where The Starting Line was asked to write more radio-friendly songs in the vein of New Found Glory's Catalyst (2004) and recreate "The Best of Me" ("Just stay the same way/Do it like you did it before/Remain the same shape", followed by "If I did it again, then lord stop me, then/God help me now, Lord help me out").^[3]. A few dates into the tour, The Starting Line were — at their request — released from their record deal with Geffen, and became free agents.^[4] In early January 2006, their signing with Virgin Records was announced.

[edit] Members

Kenny Vasoli – vocals, bass
Matt Watts – guitar
Mike Golla – guitar
Tom Gryskiewicz – drums

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Say It Like You Mean It (2002)
Based on a True Story (2005)

[edit] EPs

With Hopes of Starting Over (2001)
The Make Yourself at Home EP (2003)

[edit] Non-album tracks

"Break Up Day" – released on Welcome to the Family (2001)
"Thanks, You're the Best" – released on an eponymous three song sampler (2002)
"I'm Real" (Jennifer López featuring Ja Rule cover) – released on Punk Goes Pop (2002)
"Nights and Weekends" – released on the Japanese import of Based on a True Story (2005)
"Big Time Sensuality" (Björk cover) – released on Punk Goes '90s (2006)