Chicago is 800 miles from New York and 2000 miles from Los Angeles. The “industry” often overlooks the Midwest, letting the promise of the great die in the Knights of Columbus halls and the D.I.Y. circuits underground.

Fall Out Boy formed out of boredom in a suburban Chicago basement in 2001. It was hardcore kids vacationing from mosh riffs, looking to emulate the honesty and independence of bands like Lifetime and The Descendents. Never intending to be serious, the band was founded by charismatic Arma Angelus frontman Pete Wentz and friend Joe Trohman. The band finally took shape when they met guitarist/vocalist Patrick Stump, with Andy Hurley being the final piece to the puzzle after various line-up changes.

The Fall Out Boy live experience is anchored by Andy hitting drums like a madman, screaming at nothing, and often drawing comparisons to the Muppet “Animal”. Joe thrashes and spins at the end of the stage, causing property damage while bleeding all over his guitar. Pete and Patrick play off of each other like hot and cold, with Wentz yelling at the crowd and eventually jumping straight in. Patrick seems to be the more thoughtful of the group, delivering every word with sincerity while pounding his foot at center-stage as if the whole thing's about to fly out of control unless he keeps his ground.

When it came time to document this struggle, they teamed with producer/friend Sean O'Keefe, spent a few weeks in the studio, and released Take This to Your Grave on Fueled By Ramen Records in May 2003. Fall Out Boy’s music is a combination of Wentz' darkly comical lyricism, Stump's soulful voice, and a backdrop of pop, punk, and hardcore. It’s “no frills” rock with choruses that stick and lines that the fans tattoo on their bodies.

The band took their show on the road in late January 2003, playing over 280 shows that year. “We played some of the worst shows, to one or two people. But the funny thing is those kids still come out and see us now,” quipped Wentz. Through their dedication to connect and the countless hours spent meeting kids at the merch table, Fall Out Boy have developed a diehard fanbase. One fan at a time, loyal to the end.

The tours got better, and they ended up sharing the stage with Less Than Jake, Rufio, All American Rejects, Yellowcard and others throughout the year. They even headlined the Radiotakeover “Back to School Tour” last August/September. Says Wentz, “I think that’s when we realized that a lot of these kids were coming to see us.” This is around the time that everyone started to notice that there was something about this little band from Chicago, including MTV who did a “You Hear It First” special on the band last fall. To celebrate the end of 2003, Fall Out Boy signed to Island Records.

Fueled by Ramen later released an acoustic EP/DVD entitled “My Heart Will Always Be the B-side to My Tongue” in May 2004. The EP was recorded once again with Sean O’Keefe, this time in two days. The DVD focuses on the history of the band, all the way back to the first shows, with videos, extras, and plenty of the bands’ trademark mayhem thrown in.

2004 started with a three month run through the US and Europe with Mest. After some dates with Blink 182, Fall Out Boy headlined the “Believers Never Die” tour over summer followed by a stint on the Warped Tour. Then they headed back into the studio with producer Neal Avron (Yellowcard, New Found Glory) for their Island Records debut.

With their next release, the band seeks to keep exploring and growing. “This scene has become too formulaic and stagnant. Our next record will be our answer to that”, states Wentz. After recording the band plans to stay on tour “forever”. Those who don’t know will know soon enough.

Booking Agent: Whitney Arnold for CAA
International Agent: Mark Ngui for Primary Talent
Publicity: Karen Wiessen for Island Records
Management: Crush Music Media Management