Trapt is an alternative band from Los Gatos, California. The band formed in 1995, after meeting in high school, with members: Chris Taylor Brown (vocalist), Simon Ormandy (guitarist), Peter Charrell (bassist) and David Stege (drummer) and recorded the albums ‘Amalgamation’ and ‘Glimpse’ to sell at local shows. After the absence of Stege (drummer), the band signed to Warner Bros. Records and began recording their debut self-titled album.  The band then found their permanent drummer, Aaron Montgomery. On November 22nd, 2002, the band released Trapt, along with the single “Headstrong”. “Headstrong” became a hit, reaching #1 on alternative charts and #16 on pop. Follow-up singles “Still Frame” and “Echo” did well, although never gaining the same praise as “Headstrong”. “Headstrong” became the official theme song of WWE Bad Blood for June 2003. Trapt eventually hit platinum. After more than one year an EP followed on March 30th, 2004, that included a new song called “Promise” along with live versions of “Made Of Glass” and “Echo”. On September 13th, 2005, the band released their sophomore album “Someone In Control” along with the single “Stand Up”. In 2010 they released "No Apologies" and with thier fifth album "Reborn" they were more adventurous in the sound, using synthesizers and samples. 

Smile Empty Soul was a heavy alternative trio formed while its three members were still in Santa Clarita, California high schools.Led by singer/guitarist Sean Danielson, the band also included drummer Derek Gledhill and bassist Ryan Martin. After honing their sound with numerous hometown gigs, Smile Empty Soul began venturing to the Sunset Strip, and eventually passed a demo to Todd Parker of the Los Angeles indie ThroBack. That exposure led to a deal with Jason Flom's Lava imprint, which was expanding in the wake of early signee Kid Rock's white-hot success. The trio hooked up with producer John Lewis Parker, who was at the helm for their self-titled debut, issued by Lava in May 2003. With its screeching guitars and Danielson's rage-filled vocals, the album was indebted to the alternative sounds of the early '90s. Vultures, Smile Empty Soul's third record (the band's sophomore outing, Anxiety, was scheduled for release in 2005, but a split with Lava kept the album from seeing the light of day until the band released it through their own MRAfia Records label in 2009) hit the streets in 2006, and was followed by the aforementioned Anxiety. Their fourth full-length, Consciousness, arrived in 2009, followed by 3's in 2012. ~ Johnny Loftus