Cody Carson and Dan Clermont, who met in their high school marching band, formed a band, which brushed against another band created by Austin M. Kerr and Zach DeWall while playing local shows. After high school, Carson left for Ohio to attend the Oberlin Conservatory of Music as a classical clarinet student. In his first year, after exchanging a series of YouTube videos with All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth, Carson asked to sing "Coffee Shop Soundtrack" at the group's upcoming concert at the Cleveland House of Blues via a YouTube video. The performance led Carson to drop out of college and use his school money to start up the band.
