Began work on second album

Wheatus began work on their second album in 2002, with Brendan enlisting his sister Liz and the band’s merchandiser, Kathryn Froggatt, as backing vocalists. Shannon Harris of Relish , a group that had supported Wheatus on their earlier tours, was also added to the band as keyboardist. When the album, Hand Over Your Loved Ones , was released in 2003, it received little promotion in the UK and was not issued in the US. In October 2004, the band decided to leave their record label and form their own, Montauk Mantis. During this time, they enlisted Michael Bellar as a replacement for Harris. In February 2005, Wheatus re-released Hand Over Your Loved Ones under the new title Suck Fony . It included the new tracks “William McGovern” and a cover of Pat Benatar ‘s ” Hit Me with Your Best Shot “.