888

888 formed in suburban California in the late 1990s, with Joel Gion on vocals and guitar, Jesse Kanda on bass, and Billy Moody on drums. Their debut album 'Loss' came out in 1999, and its opening track 'Alone' got attention for its direct take on loneliness. That song, along with others like 'Critical Mistakes' and 'Missing You,' gave them an audience drawn to straightforward rock with some emotional weight.

They put out more albums in the early 2000s, including 'Human' in 2001 and 'Wannabe' in 2003. The band took a break in the mid-2000s before returning with 'Reform' in 2010. Their songs often dealt with personal themes without much polish, which suited the style they'd established from the start.