Regrouped as The Maine

Bassist Garrett Nickelsen and drummer Patrick Kirch had been playing in a hardcore band called the Kerosene Kids. When the lead singer of the group left, they opted to start over with a new name and sound. In January 2007, when they were still in high school, Nickelsen and Kirch regrouped as The Maine. The name came from the song “Coast of Maine” by Ivory. Singer John O’Callaghan joined soon after auditions – with no prior vocal experience – along with guitarists Alex Ross and Ryan Osterman. Together, they released their debut EP Stay Up, Get Down on May 8, 2007. Months later, Osterman and Ross left the band and were replaced by Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco. In November 2007, The Maine signed to Fearless Records . They released their debut single “The Way We Talk” on December 10, 2007. On the following day, they released their second EP, The Way We Talk which was produced by Matt Grabe . The EP peaked at number ten on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and sold 50,000 copies. The EP also peaked at number 45 on the US Independent Albums chart.