Sometimes joked as looking like
N.W.A but sounding like
Green Day, Jacksonville pop-punk outfit
Whole Wheat Bread got together in 2003 around friends vocalist/guitarist
Aaron Abraham and vocalist/bassist
Nicholas Largen. Both grew up listening to rap and punk music, and though initially hooking up to form a rap group, the two discovered that they both played guitar and quickly traded their hip-hop beats for catchy and caffeinated "Dirty South punk rock."
Largen's older brother
Joseph was tapped for drum duties and
Whole Wheat Bread were complete. The guys debuted in January 2005 with
Minority Rules on Fighting Records, produced by
Darian Rundall (
Pennywise,
Yellowcard). They supported the record on the road with bands like
Streetlight Manifesto,
the Suicide Machines,
MxPx, and
Reel Big Fish. But in June 2006,
Nick, who had multiple felony convictions already on his record, was arrested on first-degree robbery charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. The band continued on without him, enlisting
El Pus' C.J. Randolph (aka
Johnny Rock) as his replacement. Early fall shows were played supporting
Wu-Tang's
Killah Priest before closing out the year opening for
the Bouncing Souls nationwide. Their EP
Punk Life also appeared in stores that November. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide