The Summer Obsession

Jacksonville's the Summer Obsession were pumped to have nabbed a side stage spot for various dates on the 2004 Warped Tour, so they packed up the van and drove from Florida to Indianapolis, only to arrive and find that their particular stage had been canceled. With their summer touring plans abruptly altered, the guys did the next logical thing — drive to L.A. to try scoring a record deal. Their resilience and determination luckily paid off; after several months of practicing and showcasing, the Summer Obsession had inked a deal with Virgin. Also helping their cause was the fact that they were one of the first bands to take advantage of the exposure given by a then-fledgling MySpace; the site's creator, Tom Anderson, took a quick liking to the guys, later including one of their songs on the first Myspace Records compilation album in late 2005. Armed with Virgin's backing, the sunny pop/rock outfit entered the studio in July 2005 with producer Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Pink) and studio drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, the Vandals, etc.). After recording wrapped, they found a permanent drummer in Chris Wilson (ex-Good Charlotte) and the band briefly spent early 2006 on dates with the Click Five. The Summer Obsession — rounded out by Lucien Walker (vocals/piano), Fin Leavell (vocals/guitar, formerly of Against All Authority), and Christ Miller (bass) — issued their upbeat debut, This Is Where You Belong, in late August. Surrounding the record's release, they spent time on the road playing various shows with acts like Teddy Geiger, Houston Calls, and Bottom Line. Leavell left the band in early 2007 to pursue other musical interests.