Autoliner

Vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Brian Leach launched the power pop trio Autoliner as yet another endeavor after his earlier work with the Last Gentlemen and Sugarbuzz plus the arrival of his first solo album. Bassist John Ross, who had previously played in Monica's Interval and Vivian Section, and drummer Tom Curless completed the lineup. With Autoliner, Leach aimed to replicate the orchestrated pop of late-period Beatles and ELO while weaving in elements drawn from countless other classic pop groups. Originally operating under the name Life on Mars, the band learned after issuing their self-titled debut in 1999 that another act already held that title. The album's second pressing therefore kept the title Life on Mars while revising the group's name. Their subsequent release, Be, appeared in 2001.