The members of the Used had to overcome poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, not to mention the straight-laced attitudes of their hometown of Orem, UT, to bring their screamo-tinged brand of post-hardcore to life. But they persevered and earned a contract with Reprise Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in June 2002. Having only played a handful of shows around Orem prior to their record's release, the band -- vocalist Bert McCracken, guitarist Quinn Allman, bassist Jeph Howard, and drummer Branden Steineckert -- began relentless nationwide touring that quickly saw their fan base multiply. Club dates soon turned into successful stints on larger-scale festival/package tours including the Warped Tour, Ozzfest, and Projekt Revolution alongside Linkin Park and Snoop Dogg. In summer 2003, the Used issued the introspective CD/DVD Maybe Memories, which contained unreleased songs, live material, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. Their official sophomore offering showed up in September 2004 as In Love and Death, and the guys hopped on the first incarnation of the Taste of Chaos tour early the next year. Around that time, they also recorded a version of the Queen classic "Under Pressure" with My Chemical Romance to benefit victims of the devastating tsunami of December 2004. Boasting a fuller sound, their album peaked at number six on Billboard's Top 200 and the Used continued touring behind it worldwide. Outside of the band, McCracken has also lent his vocals to the punk rock drum troupe Street Drum Corps, while Steineckert produces bands at his studio back in Orem. As the Used readied their third album, the guys shocked fans by kicking Steineckert out of the group in early fall 2006. ~ William Ruhlmann & Corey Apar, All Music Guide