The Ataris rose to national attention with the ascent of pop-punk acts in the wake of Green Day's stardom in the mid-'90s. The Vandals bassist Joe Escalante spurred the launch of the band after hearing songwriter Kris Roe's demo tape in '97. After assembling a full lineup, the Indiana outfit worked with an impressive array of punk dignitaries including NOFX's Fat Mike and members of The Descendents before signing with Columbia in '03. When the pop-punk bubble burst in the late '00s, The Ataris started their own label and maintained an intermittent presence in the subsequent decade.