With an enthusiasm for melodic choruses and instrumental uplift, the alternative pop/rock outfit No Second Troy took root in Washington, D.C. Guitarist Tom McCarthy and keyboardist Mike Beach, both of whom had lost their respective mothers at a young age, launched the quintet in 2004. The pair's shared experiences helped fuel their dramatic music, and No Second Troy (whose name is borrowed from a W.B. Yeats poem) were soon finalized with the addition of drummer Vijay Shanker and vocalist Jeff Wharen. The band issued a self-released debut album, Fall, and secured support from XM Radio before 2004 was up. The following years brought similar luck as No Second Troy continued to tour the Eastern Seaboard, playing to larger audiences and steadily issuing a series of EPs, singles, and albums. ~ Andrew Leahey