Pop-punk outfit Hey Mike! began in Bakersfield, CA, when drummer Justin "Juice" Cabrera was looking for a new band. He called up vocalist/guitarist Steven Neufeld, whom he'd previously played with in Craig's Brother, and the two decided to start something up together. After bringing aboard guitarist Brandon Henderson, they took the advice of a mutual friend and snatched bassist Josh McDonald away from college life to complete their enthusiastic crew. The band held its first practice in November 2003, but didn't settle on the name Hey Mike! (which is a shout-out to NOFX's Fat Mike) until a few months later.