Formed during November 1998 by a trio of Rutgers attendees, the group quickly expanded into a high-octane four-piece featuring Gabe Saporta on vocals and bass, Rob Hitt behind the drums, Tyler Rann handling guitar and vocals, and Heath Saraceno also on guitar and vocals. Capitalizing on the vibrant New Jersey punk community, they forged a distinctive style that fused emo and hardcore influences and entered the studio almost immediately. Pinball Records put out their opening EP, Sacrifice of Life, the following year in 1999. Their debut album, Save the World, Lose the Girl, arrived in early 2000 through Drive-Thru Records, run by acquaintances, and MCA soon added distribution support. Beginning in fall 2001 the quartet devoted five months to tracking its sophomore effort, which surfaced as Living Well Is the Best Revenge in April 2002.
Extensive road work ensued, encompassing a headline run across the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, plus numerous European shows alongside Jimmy Eat World. Upon returning stateside in January 2003, simmering disputes with Drive-Thru regarding perceived inequitable treatment escalated sharply. Discontented amid the conflict, the band ultimately severed ties with the imprint. Undeterred, the members convened with producer Butch Walker that November to lay down tracks for the darker-toned Forget What You Know. After circulating the finished recordings among multiple imprints, Columbia acquired the project and issued it in June 2004.
