Comprising two ex-Blind Melon members (bassist Brad Smith and guitarist Christopher Thorn), one ex-Pearl Jam member (drummer Dave Krusen), and newcomer Chris Shinn on vocals/guitar, Unified Theory began to take shape in 1998. After a plan to carry on Blind Melon with a new singer and a different name didn't pan out, Smith and Thorn began forming a new band. Thorn came across Shinn after moving to L.A. to scout vocalists, while Krusen proved to be a logical choice since he was already friends with the others. The band was first called Luma (issuing a four-track CD through their website in 1999), but by the time they signed to the Universal subsidiary 3:33 later in the year, the quartet's name was changed to Unified Theory, named after the theory Einstein was working on when he died. The band issued its self-titled debut in August 2000, followed by the independent release of sophomore outing Cinematic as a download-only album in 2008. ~ Greg Prato