The Ataris

The Ataris is an alternative/punk rock band from Anderson, IN that was formed by singer/songwriter and guitarist Kris Roe and guitarist Jasin Thomason in 1995. The two musicians recorded music in Roe's bedroom using a 4-track and a drum machine, making demo tapes of their early sound. While attending a show at Club Bogart's in Cincinnati, Thomason gave their demo tape to The Vandals' bassist Joe Escalante, who passed the demo to The Vandals' label, Kun Fu Records. The label signed the Ataris shortly after and assisted the band in finding a drummer. The Ataris landed with Derrick Plourde, former drummer of Lagwagon, and began recording its debut album Anywhere But Here, released 1997. Despite a short tour the same year, the Ataris lineup disbanded when Roe moved to Santa Barbra and Thomason remained in Indiana. Since the band had a tour booked with Dance Hall Crashers and Unwritten Law, Roe decide to revive the Ataris with a new lineup, recruiting his friend Mike Davenport to play bass as well as drummer Chris Knapp. After the tour, the band's reputation began to grow in the underground rock scene and then in the mainstream music scene with the release of the1999 album Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits. Like the band's breakthrough album, the Ataris' subsequent four albums display the band's accessible narratives, particularly on its 2012 effort, The Graveyard of the Atlantic.