In 1997 Johnny's friend Einar Pedersen (who was also a member of Jez Spencer with Johnny Goudie) joined on bass and Bill Lefler replaced the original drummer Kyle Schneider, and Jimmy Messer was brought in as lead guitarist.

[2] In the Spring of 1998, after only being together nine months, and still without a band name, the group played a showcase during the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.

The strategy proved successful, and they caught the attention of Dan McCarroll, who was working with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich to scout for bands to sign to a new record label Ulrich was forming as a subsidiary of Elektra Records.

The band toured the country with such acts as Blur, Supergrass and Unified Theory, building what would become a large and loyal fan base.

In July, Jimmy Messer played his last show with Goudie, and Sean Mullens replaced him on lead guitar.