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The Starting Line
The Starting Line is an American pop-punk band formed in Churchville, Pennsylvania in 1999. They are currently based in Philadelphia. The band first gained fame in the early 2000s. After nearly two decades without a new studio album, the band made a major comeback in September 2025 with the release of their fourth full-length record, Eternal Youth.
In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated when guitarist Matt Watts, from his Connecticut dorm room, sent out emails to people from the AOL member directory who had similar bands in their profiles. He sent out many emails including one vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the 14-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read. Kenny was the only person to respond to Matt's emails. Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future band-mates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. According to Matt Watts, the guys "jammed and wrote a couple of songs".
From there, the band started to book shows. One of the shows was with the band Saves the Day. Saves the Day was putting out a record-release show for their second album Through Being Cool in Harrisburg, PA. Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home-made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette titled Four Songs. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, released on KickStart Audio in 2000. The three songs on the split from the band were 'West Girl Scout Road', 'Forever in a Day' and 'Nothing Short of a Miracle'.
Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the We the People Records Sessions). Set for a release in December 2000, the twelve songs were initially planned to become the band's debut full-length on We the People Records, but they ended up serving only as demos for tracks on future releases, as the band signed with Drive-Thru Records in April 2001. They later found out that the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, so they changed their band name to the Starting Line. The band has said there is no significance behind the name, it was the only name they all could agree upon.
On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over... on July 17, 2001. The album contained an earlier version of the song 'Leaving', which was a fan-favorite from the We The People sessions, and would eventually become the band's second single on their debut full-length album Say It Like You Mean It.
On July 16, 2002, almost exactly one year after the release of their EP, the full-length Say It Like You Mean It followed. The songs ranged from energetic and fast-paced to melancholy and calm, dealing with performing on stage ("Given the Chance"- "I can't wait to hit the stage/and say hello/To Jersey"), vacation ("Left Coast Envy"- "Vacation's everything we need/Can I sell this sunrise/In return for a sunset?") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", "Cheek to Cheek", among others). The single "The Best of Me" and its two music videos, as well as the second single "Leaving", received heavy radio and TV airplay, securing the Starting Line a spot on the Warped Tour. A clip of "Up & Go" was played during an episode of the short-lived television series from Fox, John Doe. The episode aired December 13, 2002, and was entitled 'The Mourner.' "Up & Go" was also included in the full-length trailer for the movie She's The Man, which starred Amanda Bynes. In 2003 the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing the song "The Best of Me".
Due to their desire to put out new material, the band decided to release an all-unplugged EP, recorded in three sessions over the following year. The first three songs ("Make Yourself at Home", "Selective", and "Playing Favorites") (recorded in The Prize Fight's Bob Jones' bedroom in August 2002), the second session ("The Nightlife" and acoustic version of "Best of Me") (recorded in Vasoli's basement in March 2003) and the last track ("Lasting Impressions") (recorded on the band's touring bus in April 2003) became The Make Yourself at Home EP, released on November 25, 2003. The CD and the DVD version issued simultaneously, featuring an acoustic set performed live at Skate & Surf 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, would be their last releases put out solely on Drive-Thru Records, as The Starting Line was signed by Geffen Records soon afterwards.
Their major label debut, Based on a True Story, came out in May 2005. Lyrically, the band dissociated themselves from the post-relationship formula that was predominant on their previous records. The album is punctuated by several more aggressive songs, written to spite the band's record label. "Inspired by the $" featured lyrics that are directed at Geffen: "Someone/Get to the point/Get it across!/To the boys at the top of the ladder I'm climbing up/I have my doubts". Another section of the song refers to a meeting the band had with the label's executives, where the Starting Line was asked to write more radio-friendly songs in the vein of New Found Glory's Catalyst (2004) and recreate "Best of Me" ("Just stay the same way/Do it like you did it before/Remain the same shape." The album was far more successful than the band's 2002 effort and sold 42,000 copies within its first week, as opposed to its predecessor's 11,000. The release was followed by the semi-headlining Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy, kicking off in September 2005. The band brought with them a new addition to their live performances, keyboardist Brian Schmutz. A friend of Vasoli's, the two had short lived side-project called Statue in 2004. A few dates into the tour, the Starting Line were, at their request, released from their record deal with Geffen. Vasoli describes their time with Geffen: " It was kind of like having a sort of hot girlfriend that never talks to you. You say, "Oh yeah, I 'm dating this supermodel, but she's been in France for three years and doesn't really call me... but she promises that when she gets back we're REALLY gonna start to get serious. It was always an imaginary relationship." In 2005 their song "The World" appeared on the video game Burnout Revenge and again on the television series American Idol in 2011.
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The Starting Line
The Starting Line is an American pop-punk band formed in Churchville, Pennsylvania in 1999. They are currently based in Philadelphia. The band first gained fame in the early 2000s. After nearly two decades without a new studio album, the band made a major comeback in September 2025 with the release of their fourth full-length record, Eternal Youth.
In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated when guitarist Matt Watts, from his Connecticut dorm room, sent out emails to people from the AOL member directory who had similar bands in their profiles. He sent out many emails including one vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the 14-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read. Kenny was the only person to respond to Matt's emails. Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future band-mates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. According to Matt Watts, the guys "jammed and wrote a couple of songs".
From there, the band started to book shows. One of the shows was with the band Saves the Day. Saves the Day was putting out a record-release show for their second album Through Being Cool in Harrisburg, PA. Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home-made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette titled Four Songs. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, released on KickStart Audio in 2000. The three songs on the split from the band were 'West Girl Scout Road', 'Forever in a Day' and 'Nothing Short of a Miracle'.
Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the We the People Records Sessions). Set for a release in December 2000, the twelve songs were initially planned to become the band's debut full-length on We the People Records, but they ended up serving only as demos for tracks on future releases, as the band signed with Drive-Thru Records in April 2001. They later found out that the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, so they changed their band name to the Starting Line. The band has said there is no significance behind the name, it was the only name they all could agree upon.
On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over... on July 17, 2001. The album contained an earlier version of the song 'Leaving', which was a fan-favorite from the We The People sessions, and would eventually become the band's second single on their debut full-length album Say It Like You Mean It.
On July 16, 2002, almost exactly one year after the release of their EP, the full-length Say It Like You Mean It followed. The songs ranged from energetic and fast-paced to melancholy and calm, dealing with performing on stage ("Given the Chance"- "I can't wait to hit the stage/and say hello/To Jersey"), vacation ("Left Coast Envy"- "Vacation's everything we need/Can I sell this sunrise/In return for a sunset?") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", "Cheek to Cheek", among others). The single "The Best of Me" and its two music videos, as well as the second single "Leaving", received heavy radio and TV airplay, securing the Starting Line a spot on the Warped Tour. A clip of "Up & Go" was played during an episode of the short-lived television series from Fox, John Doe. The episode aired December 13, 2002, and was entitled 'The Mourner.' "Up & Go" was also included in the full-length trailer for the movie She's The Man, which starred Amanda Bynes. In 2003 the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing the song "The Best of Me".
Due to their desire to put out new material, the band decided to release an all-unplugged EP, recorded in three sessions over the following year. The first three songs ("Make Yourself at Home", "Selective", and "Playing Favorites") (recorded in The Prize Fight's Bob Jones' bedroom in August 2002), the second session ("The Nightlife" and acoustic version of "Best of Me") (recorded in Vasoli's basement in March 2003) and the last track ("Lasting Impressions") (recorded on the band's touring bus in April 2003) became The Make Yourself at Home EP, released on November 25, 2003. The CD and the DVD version issued simultaneously, featuring an acoustic set performed live at Skate & Surf 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, would be their last releases put out solely on Drive-Thru Records, as The Starting Line was signed by Geffen Records soon afterwards.
Their major label debut, Based on a True Story, came out in May 2005. Lyrically, the band dissociated themselves from the post-relationship formula that was predominant on their previous records. The album is punctuated by several more aggressive songs, written to spite the band's record label. "Inspired by the $" featured lyrics that are directed at Geffen: "Someone/Get to the point/Get it across!/To the boys at the top of the ladder I'm climbing up/I have my doubts". Another section of the song refers to a meeting the band had with the label's executives, where the Starting Line was asked to write more radio-friendly songs in the vein of New Found Glory's Catalyst (2004) and recreate "Best of Me" ("Just stay the same way/Do it like you did it before/Remain the same shape." The album was far more successful than the band's 2002 effort and sold 42,000 copies within its first week, as opposed to its predecessor's 11,000. The release was followed by the semi-headlining Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy, kicking off in September 2005. The band brought with them a new addition to their live performances, keyboardist Brian Schmutz. A friend of Vasoli's, the two had short lived side-project called Statue in 2004. A few dates into the tour, the Starting Line were, at their request, released from their record deal with Geffen. Vasoli describes their time with Geffen: " It was kind of like having a sort of hot girlfriend that never talks to you. You say, "Oh yeah, I 'm dating this supermodel, but she's been in France for three years and doesn't really call me... but she promises that when she gets back we're REALLY gonna start to get serious. It was always an imaginary relationship." In 2005 their song "The World" appeared on the video game Burnout Revenge and again on the television series American Idol in 2011.