Sugarcult

Sugarcult came together in Santa Barbara, California, with Tim Pagnotta on vocals and guitar, Marko 72 on lead guitar, Airin Older on bass, and Kenny Livingston on drums. Their 2001 debut album 'Start Static' landed them squarely in the pop-punk conversation of the early 2000s, thanks largely to the single 'Memory' which got plenty of radio play and became a staple for fans of the sound.

They followed up with albums like 'Palm Trees and Power Lines' in 2004 and 'Lights Out' in 2006, keeping up a steady pace of melodic, guitar-driven songs. Tracks like 'Bouncing Off The Walls' and 'Pretty Girl' showed their knack for hooks that felt both energetic and a little wistful, fitting right in with what was happening in rock radio at the time.

In 2006, the band had to cancel a tour when bassist Airin Older was dealing with substance abuse issues. Older eventually left and was replaced by Tony Campos from Static-X. They put out another album called 'Edging' in 2008, and later released 'Year of the Sugarcult' in 2011, which had a somewhat different, more settled feel compared to their earlier work.