The Exies came together in 1997, emerging from the Los Angeles rock scene with Scott Stevens (vocals/guitar), Freddy Herrera (bass), and Thom Sullivan (drums). Although rumor has it that Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots discovered the band after one of their infamous rock shows and was slated to produced the Exies' debut album, he was actually nothing more than an early fan of the band. Guitarist David Walsh joined the Exies by 1998; Sullivan left in 2000, leaving Dennis Wolfe to take over drum duties. The Exies released their first album, a self-titled effort, in March 2000. Two years later, the band had a deal with Virgin and hit the road with 30 Seconds to Mars. Inertia appeared several months later and its lead single, "My Goddess," became a hit on modern rock radio. Head for the Door was released in 2004 with its single "Ugly" becoming an instant modern rock hit and eventually World Wrestling Entertainment's theme song for their Survivor Series 2004 pay-per-view event. The legendary Nikki Sixx handpicked the band to join Mötley Crüe's Carnival of Sins tour while the album's second single, "Hey You," was being added to the soundtrack of the successful video game Guitar Hero. While it seemed like they were riding high, Virgin dropped the band when they returned from touring and Walsh and Wolfe soon split. An old friend, guitarist Chris Skane, signed on and the Exies forged ahead as a trio. Looking to record an album of "beauty and destruction," the band entered the studio in spring of 2006 with producer James Michaels (Buckcherry, Deftones) at the controls. A year later A Modern Way of Living with the Truth arrived on their new label, Eleven Seven. The album featured the single "Different Than You" and a cover version of Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime."