Due to its tireless touring schedule, the band started to assemble a faithful following across the U.S. More importantly, the group was independently selling its CDs by the thousands, which sparked some significant label interest. “We had three independent records under our belt when we signed to Giant Records in 1999,” states McGee. “It was funny because when we got signed [to Giant] nobody even asked to hear our songs. They signed us based on the fact that we had sold 130,000 records out of the back of our van.”

The band released its Giant debut, titled Shine, in 2001 and immediately started laying tracks for its sophomore release. But when Giant Records was absorbed by Warner Bros. Records later that year, the future of the band’s follow-up was soon left in limbo. “We finished the record in 2003 and we had to wait to get it released,” states McGee. “Then they put it out in 2004 and our third record option had already come up. So six weeks into the radio promotion they decided they wouldn’t pick up a third record. And we were like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’”

Fortunately, the folks at Warner Bros. Records met McGee half way and ultimately licensed the completed record to the established indie, Kirtland Records. The band signed a multi-record deal with the label in 2005 and its Kirtland debut, titled Save Me, was released earlier this summer.

—Scott Perham