Virginia pop-rockers Parachute are that rare high school band that goes the distance. The group earned a major label deal and scored a platinum hit with 2009’s “She Is Love.” • Parachute formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, while Will Anderson (vocals, guitar), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Christopher “Kit” French (saxophone, keyboards), and Alex Hargrave (bass) were high school students. • Guitarist Nate McFarland, who attended the University of Virginia alongside Will Anderson, later joined. They were both in the collegiate a cappella group The Virginia Gentlemen. • After establishing themselves in the indie scene as Sparky's Flaw, the band rebranded as Parachute in early 2008. They soon signed with Island Def Jam and licensed “She Is Love” for a commercial for skin-care products. Appearing on their 2009 debut album, Losing Sleep, the single eventually went platinum. • The band made the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 albums chart with their second and third albums, The Way It Is (2011) and Overnight (2013). • By 2016's Wide Awake, Parachute had become a trio following the departures of Alex Hargrave and Nate McFarland.