Cheater

Mark Phillips, a vocalist and guitarist who had previously lived in Washington DC, launched Cheater with the goal of energizing his hometown of Santa Monica, California. Bassist Ben Collete and guitarist Dennis McGivern joined the project, supplying rapid tempos, basic three-chord attack, and catchy breakdowns that shaped the band’s sound ahead of the 1998 debut EP Experience All The Hate. After signing with Theologian Records the same year, the group enlisted Chris Webb of One Hit Wonder as a short-term drummer to track the full-length album Home Is Where The Heart Is, also issued in 1998. Not long afterward, Jamie Harris took over the drum chair on a permanent basis, locking the band’s final lineup into place.