Mest, Quietdrive, Rookie of the Year

Mest
Cousins Tony and Matt Lovato grew up across the street from each other in the Blue Island section of the south side of Chicago and began playing together at seven, borrowing instruments from Tony's father, with Tony picking up guitar and singing and Matt playing bass.

Rookie of the Year
Pop emo outfit Rookie of the Year started as a solo acoustic project in the style of Dashboard Confessional, but quickly turned into a proper band by their second album. Rookie of the Year began in 2004 when Fayetteville, NC, native Ryan Dunson wrote and recorded the solo album Having to Let Go.

Quietdrive
The Minneapolis, MN-based quintet Quietdrive formed in 2003 when friends Brandon Lanier (drums), Droo Hastings (bass), and Justin Bonhiver (guitar) heard some MP3s posted online by singer Kevin Truckenmiller and contacted him about starting a band.

Automatic Loveletter
From Tampa Fl, Automatic Love letter is fronted on vocals and guitar by Juliet Simms, with Daniel Currier on drums, Sean Noll on bass, and Juliet's brother serving producing duties.