The Starting Line

The Starting Line was formed in 1999 in Churchville, Pennsylvania, by guitarist Matt Watts and bassist‑vocalist Kenny Vasoli, who would later become the band’s frontman. The group’s early efforts began with a self‑recorded demo cassette and a split release on KickStart Audio in 2000, followed by the With Hopes of Starting Over... EP in 2001 on Drive‑Thru Records. Their debut full‑length Say It Like You Mean It was issued on 16 July 2002, achieving 306,000 U.S. sales and producing the singles "The Best of Me" and "Leaving"; the latter peaked at Number twenty‑one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. In 2005 the band signed with Geffen Records and released Based on a True Story, which sold 42,000 copies in its first week and earned a spot on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy. After a brief hiatus, The Starting Line returned with Direction in 2007 on Virgin Records, featuring the charting single "Island (Float Away)". The group released a live album Somebody's Gonna Miss Us in 2009. After sporadic reunion shows, they issued the Anyways EP in 2015 and released their fourth studio album Eternal Youth in 2025.