We the Kings are an unapologetically commercial emo-pop band from Bradenton, FL, a small town that doubles as the home base for Tropicana orange juice. Friends since childhood (the band's moniker refers to the name of their junior-high mascot), the foursome -- singer/guitarist Travis Clark, guitarist Hunter Thomsen, his bassist brother Drew Thomsen, and drummer Danny Duncan -- formed the band while attending high school. Under the guidance of manager Bret Disend, the teenaged quartet placed a number of tracks on the social networking site Purevolume in 2007 to build online buzz. Meanwhile, they also pursued a deal with EMI's imprint S-Curve Records, which eventually signed the group.