The Like

The Like originated in Los Angeles in 2001 while its members were still teenagers, with bassist Charlotte Froom, drummer Tennessee Thomas, and vocalist Z. Berg comprising the initial trio. Early influences included the Sundays, Throwing Muses, and the Pretenders, and the group first drew attention as the offspring of established music-industry figures—producer Mitchell Froom, Attractions drummer Pete Thomas, and A&R impresario Tony Berg. The indie-rock outfit nevertheless pursued an independent path, self-releasing three EPs—I Like the Like, ...And the Like, and Like It or Not—via its website and at concerts before securing a Geffen contract in 2004. Immediately after high school the band toured with Maroon 5, Rooney, and Phantom Planet while completing its debut album, Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?, issued in 2005. Lineup and label changes followed, as Froom departed, bassist Laena Geronimo and organist Annie Monroe arrived, and the roster moved from Geffen to Downtown; the musicians also traded their original image for a mod aesthetic. That visual shift aligned with a broader musical turn toward 1960s garage rock and girl groups, replacing the punk-pop approach of the first record. Mark Ronson, Homer Steinweiss, and Alex Greenwald produced the resulting second album, Release Me, which appeared in June 2010.