The trio came together in mid-2002 in Los Angeles when singer/bassist Tom Bailey (who had mostly grown up in Akron, OH) returned to California, his state of birth. Once there, he crossed paths with guitarist Shannon McMurray and drummer Jay Skowronek, who had met earlier through a musician wanted ad. McMurray was a SoCal native spending his days as an elementary school teacher, while East Coast film school grad Skowronek had headed west to pursue dreams of rock stardom. The three quickly clicked and within six months of forming, Maxeen had landed a deal with local indie SideOneDummy Records; 2003 further found them playing dates on the summer's Warped Tour and saw the release of their self-titled debut record in November. The guys toured behind the album with bands like the Slackers, the Format, and the Matches, eventually inking a deal with Warner Bros. in January 2005. Maxeen set to work on their label debut and continued playing various shows with guitarist Sean Beste on board in place of McMurray. Hello Echo: Tour Edition was released digitally in mid-2006, and though it had yet to hit retail, fans could also pick copies up from the band at shows. ~ Corey Apar