The Plus Ones emerged as a pop-punk trio right at their 1998 inception, given the prior experience each member brought to the table. On guitar and vocals, Scotty Hays had already logged his formative years with the Struggle Buggies and Redemption 87, only to later split his commitments between the Receivers and the Plus Ones. Handling vocals and bass, Joel Reader logged stints with the Mr. T Experience and the Bomb Bassets—a 90's version of the Avengers—while also supplying bass in Penelope Houston's backing band. Danny Panic, best recognized for his run in Chicago's Screeching Weasel, relocated to San Francisco and stepped in with acts such as the Groovie Ghoulies and Pansy Division. The combination produced a buoyant pop-punk unit widely tagged with the alert "Cute Band Alert." Coldfront Records ultimately backed the three-piece on their first EP, On the List, which surfaced in early 2000.
