The short-lived boy band NLT (Not Like Them) are perhaps best remembered for what happened after their breakup, as opposed to what occurred during their brief existence. Assembled by R&B producer Chris Stokes, NLT began taking shape when Stokes booked a local dance studio in Los Angeles to hold rehearsals for a different group, B2K. The studio's owners had a son, Vahe "V" Sevani, with musical aspirations of his own. Informed by Stokes that his demo would be given a shot as long as he was part of a group, Sevani began seeking out additional singers. First on his list was Justin Joseph "JJ" Thorne, who had worked with him on an instructional dance video (and had also, coincidentally enough, appeared in a B2K video). Soon after, Dallas-based performer Kevin McHale was found through an agent, who also referred a theater actor named Travis Garland to the group.