SPIT FOR ATHENA WAS BORN ON 8/31/2001, IN COLDWATER, MI. LEVI BAILEY (VOCALS, GUITAR), AND MATT BUDD (DRUMS) FORMED THE BAND SO THEY COULD PLAY THE KIND OF MUSIC THAT ALL THEIR OTHER FRIENDS CONSIDERED "PUSSY-ROCK". MARC PALM TALKED LEVI INTO ASKING MELANIE CUMMING (BASS) IF SHE'D LIKE TO JOIN THE BAND...SHE ACCEPTED. THEY PLAYED THEIR FIRST SHOW ON 9/15/01 AT THE BRANCH COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.

THEY RECORDED THEIR DEMO WITH DAN BARRY IN BATTLE CREEK. THEY PASSED IT OUT MOSTLY FOR FREE, BECAUSE ALL THE MATERIALS FOR SPIT FOR ATHENA MERCHANDISE AT THAT POINT (BLANK CD-R'S, STICKER PAPER, SHARPIES, T-SHIRTS AND T-SHIRT TRANSFERS, ETC.) WAS PERSONALLY SHOPLIFTED BY MEMBERS OF THE BAND.

ON JULY 27TH, IN BATTLE CREEK , AT THE ARCADIA BREWING COMPANY, SPIT FOR ATHENA PLAYED A VERY SPECIAL SHOW, WHERE THEY MET TWO BANDS THAT WOULD CHANGE SPIT FOR ATHENA'S COURSE IN A VERY IMPORTANT WAY. IT WAS AT THIS SHOW THAT THEY MET TODAY I WAIT AND TWO STARS BURNING SUN, WHO INFORMED THEM ABOUT FRICTION RECORDS.

TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY BOTH BAND'S PERFORMANCES, SPIT FOR ATHENA WERE IMMEDIATELY HELLBENT ON BECOMING INVOLVED WITH A LOCAL LABEL THAT FEATURED SUCH AMAZING TALENT. THEY DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO RECORD A "REAL CD". THEY FOUND OUT THAT BART (TODAY I WAIT'S BASSIST) WORKED AT A RECORDING STUDIO IN DETROIT CALLED CLOUD CITY, WITH MIKE HASTY FROM THE BAND WALLS OF JERICHO. THEY GOT THE NECESSARY CONTACT INFORMATION FROM BART, CALLED MIKE TO DISCUSS RATES, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER THEY FOUND THEMSELVES IN DETROIT.

LEVI (WHO WAS LIVING WITH JASON HANSON AT THE TIME, WHO DESIGNED SPIT FOR ATHENA'S FIRST WEBSITE) SENT A COPY OF THE NEW RECORDINGS TO JEFF VANDENBERG, NOT EXPECTING A POSITIVE REPLY. THE CD HAD ALREADY MET SEVERE CRITICISM FROM SFA'S CLOSE FRIENDS, WHO THOUGHT THE VOCAL OVERDUBBING WAS "TOO MUCH", AND THE WHOLE THING SOUNDED "FAKE".

JEFF VANDENBERG, HOWEVER, THOUGHT OTHERWISE. HE AGREED TO RELEASE THE CD ON FRICTION RECORDS, AND THE CD WAS RELEASED THE FOLLOWING MAY, IN 2003. THE DAY THAT THEY FIRST GOT TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT WAS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING DAYS IN ANY OF THEIR LIVES.

SPIT FOR ATHENA'S OFFICIAL CD RELEASE PARTY FOR THEIR NEW BABY WAS IN GRAND RAPIDS AT STOOGE'S. THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PICK WHICH BANDS THEY WANTED TO PLAY WITH, AND THEY DECIDED ON TWO STARS BURNING SUN AND HALOS FOR MARTYRS, TWO OTHER FRICTION ARTISTS. TWO STARS BURNING SUN INVITED LEVI UP ON STAGE TO SING ONE OF THEIR SONGS WITH THEM, AND A SPACESHIP LANDED OUT IN THE PARKING LOT. DRUNK IDIOTS CHASED THE ALIENS AWAY WITH BROKEN BOTTLES AND SLURRED INSULTS, BUT MELANIE WAS ABLE TO SCORE WITH ONE OF THEM BEFORE THEY FLEW BACK TO MARS.

OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, SPIT FOR ATHENA WOULD PLAY A PLACE CALLED "THE BEAD HUT", BE INTERVIEWED ON WIDR IN KALAMAZOO, MEET CHARLEVOIX, AND PLAY WITH THE GREAT GARY JIBILIAN. ON JULY 26, 2003, SPIT FOR ATHENA GOT TO PLAY AN AMAZING SHOW FEATURING THEIR NEW FRIENDS TODAY I WAIT, A NEAT-O BAND NAMED TANOOKI SUIT, AND (SIT DOWN FOR THIS ONE) WALLS OF JERICHO! WHAT A BLIKBLOPPCHAPPA-GOOD TIME! DAMN!

ON AUGUST 22 AND 23 OF 2003, SPIT FOR ATHENA HEADED BACK TO DETROIT, TO CLOUD CITY STUDIOS, TO RECORD THE FOLLOW-UP TO THEIR FRICTION RECORDS DEBUT. THE CD WOULD BE CALLED "EXTERMINA". ON THE WAY TO DETROIT, LEVI CALLED A FRIEND WHO WAS THROWING AN UPCOMING EPOXIES SHOW AT KRAFTBRAU IN KALAMAZOO, AND MANAGED TO SECURE THE OPENING SLOT. THE EPOXIES BEING ONE OF MELANIE'S FAVORITE BANDS, SHE WAS FORCED TO PULL THE CAR OVER, TWENTY MINUTES OUTSIDE OF DETROIT, TO DANCE A JOYOUS JIG AND PUKE UP HER FRUIT SMOOTHIE.

A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF HAPPENED...BLAH BLAH BLAH...