Chasing Victory

Chasing Victory emerged from Camilla, GA, as a group fusing emo, metal, and hard rock into a forceful, uncompromising style that carries an uplifting message. The band took shape in 2001 when high-school student Adam Harrell joined drummer Jeremy Lowery and guitarist Michael Lamb to launch the project. They first operated as the cover act Bailey Drive before shifting focus to original songs, which led to the 2004 release of their debut EP, A Not So Tragic Cover-Up. After inking a deal with the independent label Mono Vs Stereo Records, the group issued its first full-length effort, I Call This Abandonment, in 2005; by then guitarist Chris Cargile had taken over for Jason Lowery while Chris Crutchfield had assumed bass duties. Extensive touring followed the album’s arrival, and when the musicians reconvened to record their sophomore set, Fiends, the resulting 2007 collection displayed a marked shift in approach. Harrell moved away from the abrasive, screamo-heavy delivery heard on the debut toward a smoother, more tuneful vocal style shaped by Jeff Buckley, while the band’s song structures leaned more openly into classic hard rock without shedding their alternative character.