Hailing from Poughkeepsie, New York, Matchbook Romance emerged as a melodic hardcore outfit whose origins trace to 1997. Bassist Ryan Kienle, vocalist and guitarist Andrew Jordan, and drummer Aaron Stern, previously active in Fizzlewink, recruited guitarist Ryan “Judas” DePaolo and initially operated under the name the Getaway. The computer-literate members built and maintained their own site, aggressively promoting an impassioned strain of midtempo hardcore marked by crashing dynamics. Listings on unsigned-band platforms such as MP3.com widened their reach, enabling steady performances across the Northeast.
Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz discovered the Getaway’s demo through punknews.org, contacted Jordan, and brought the group to California to ink a deal with the established punk label. Legal complications prompted the name change to Matchbook Romance; Gurewitz himself produced the band’s debut EP while tours were booked, and Joe Barresi—known for work with Weezer and Pennywise—was enlisted for the forthcoming full-length. The West for Wishing EP arrived in April 2003, followed five months later by Stories and Alibis. Extensive road work propelled the latter past 200,000 copies sold, and a 2004 split release with Motion City Soundtrack kept momentum alive until the more expansive Voices appeared in February 2006. The musicians spent much of that year touring, including summer support dates alongside Yellowcard. In March 2007, however, Matchbook Romance declared an indefinite hiatus without disclosing specific reasons.
