After graduating from high school in Madison, WI, former classmates Kai Kennedy (lead guitar), Jesse Laz (rhythm guitar), Aaron Collins (bass), and Sam Bair (drummer) left the Midwest and resettled in Brooklyn, where they wasted little time honing a spirited, contemporary interpretation of British Invasion-styled rock. Dubbing themselves Locksley, the musicians began issuing a series of independent albums, beginning with 2004’s Safely From the City. An opening slot on OK Go's national tour helped promote Locksley’s music to a wider audience, and the band received an additional boost in 2006 when their single “Why Not Me” won a polling contest on mtvU.

After landing one of their songs in the blockbuster movie Cloverfield, and supporting Hanson on the band’s 2007 tour, Locksley re-released one of their previous albums, Don't Make Me Wait, in 2008. That same year, MTV began using the band's "Why Can't I Be You?" as the theme song for a reality series of the same name. The network also hired Locksley to headline their cross-country “Choose or Lose” tour. Aaron Collins had exited the lineup by this time, with Jordan Laz -- Jesse’s younger brother -- taking over bass duties instead, and the new lineup returned to the studio to record 2010’s Be In Love. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi