In the early 1980s, Washington, D.C. was a mecca for hardcore punk music. The scene was so pure and original that it drew young rockers from literally all over the country, each wanting to mix it up with the original gods of this new radio-unfriendly sound. The names are quite familiar: Minor Threat. Scream. Jawbox. Soulside. State of Alert. Government Issue. Faith. The D.C. hardcore scene was a catalyst for the careers of Henry Rollins and Dave Grohl, while others stayed local like Dischord founder Ian MacKaye who later fronted Fugazi. It was incredibly influential on young rock musicians looking for something beyond the radio and MTV — sounds which now traditionally define the era — and spawned a second wave of bands in the 90s (an era which is aptly titled post-hardcore). Two such bands were Trusty and Circus Lupus, both of which moved halfway across the country to join the D.C. hardcore scene and later were signed to Dischord. Another group, Worlds Collide, was formed by Chicago transplant Matt Burger who came to drink the waters of this rock oasis. And for those who were content in their native lands, groups like Squatweiler from North Carolina still were influenced by the underground rock coming out of D.C.

The Whips formed in 2001 from the remnants of the D.C. post hardcore scene, when Lupus drummer Arika Casebolt tapped bassit James Brady from Trusty, guitarist Trip Costner from Squatweiler and vocalist Burger from Worlds Collide. It is this collective experience — thousands of miles in vans, tons of gigs, hundreds of hours in the recording studio — and similar musical tastes which each member of The Whips brings to the stage. That September at their first gig, they literally set the P.A. on fire and gave birth to “Hot Rock.”