Mainstay

Forming in the suburbs of Minnesota, Mainstay originally started out as a punk trio in the garages of its members. It wasn't until college in Minneapolis that the group — vocalist and guitarist Justin Anderson, drummer Ryan DeYounge, and bassist Dan Ostebo — sharpened its style into its current brand of melodic rock with a Christian message. With a more focused direction, the guys started to build a fan base around town with a self-released EP before signing with the management firm Smallman Music Group. This (coupled with some hyping by members of Kutless) eventually led to a partnership between BEC Recordings and Tooth and Nail for their February 2006 full-length debut, Well Meaning Fiction, produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Acceptance) and Zach Hodges.