signed to Arista Records by L.A. Reid

In November 2000, Ken Krongard, an A&R representative, invited Antonio “L.A.” Reid , then head of Arista Records, to Zizzo’s Manhattan studio to hear Lavigne sing. Her 15-minute audition “so impressed” Reid that he immediately signed her to Arista with a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance. By this time, Lavigne had found that she fit in naturally with her hometown high school’s skater clique , an image that carried through to her first album, but although she enjoyed skateboarding , school left her feeling insecure. Having signed a record deal, and with support from her parents, she left school to focus on her music career. Lavigne’s band, which were mostly the members of Closet Monster , was chosen by Nettwerk, as they wanted young performers who were up and coming from the Canadian punk rock scene who would fit with Lavigne’s personality.