Hey Monday

Hey Monday came together in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Cassadee Pope first attracted notice at a regional music conference. While still enrolled in high school, the vocalist impressed A&R executives with a voice that echoed the polished power of Avril Lavigne and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. She recruited fellow teenagers Jersey Moriarty on bass, Elliot James on drums, and guitarists Mike Gentile and Alex Lipshaw to form the group. After abandoning their earlier moniker Blake, they settled on Hey Monday and eventually secured the interest of A&R executive Jay Harren, who placed them on Columbia Records. The band then tracked their debut with production duo S*A*M & Sluggo, previously responsible for albums by Metro Station and the Academy Is...

Hold on Tight appeared in October 2008 via a joint arrangement between Columbia and Decaydance, the imprint launched by Pete Wentz. Over the ensuing twelve months the band toured steadily, opening for Fall Out Boy and All Time Low while also headlining select dates. Elliot James exited near the end of 2009, with Patrick McKenzie stepping in on drums. During the first half of 2010 the remaining members cut new material—employing Stacy Jones as session drummer—and delivered the six-song EP Beneath It All that August.