About Pop Evil
Pop Evil is an American rock band that was formed in North Muskegon, Michigan, in 2001 by Leigh Kakaty. The band's roots reside in TenFive, a group formed in the late-1990s by Kakaty and guitarist Jason Reed. Pop Evil has several songs that topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, including "Trenches" and "Waking Lions".
The band was formed from pieces of other Michigan bands in 2001, including a group known as TenFive, which consisted of Kakaty, guitarists Tom Grasman and Jason Reed, bassist James Schaap, and drummer Dylan Allison. As TenFive, Kakaty and Reed recorded a debut album, Severn, and another EP, Dam Electro, on their own independent label. Shortly thereafter, TenFive broke up and Kakaty founded Pop Evil with Allison.
Kakaty and the members of Pop Evil endured years of playing the clubs without much to show for it. Kakaty said "It was years of bologna sandwiches, playing so many cover shows until the early morning hours because we needed money to make good demos." The singer also endured his share of heartache when his girlfriend died in tragic circumstances in 2004.
They then independently released an album, War of the Roses , and a three-song EP, Ready or Not . The latter featured the concert favorite "Somebody Like You". They also filmed a music video of the single released in 2006 starring Rossi Morreale and Britt Koth.
In November 2007, Pop Evil was referred by a music talent scout, Tracy Jule to Erik Quintero, which began Pop Evil's success. In 2008, Pop Evil signed a management deal with G&G Entertainment.
Pop Evil's debut studio album, Lipstick on the Mirror, was released August 12, 2008, and featured radio favorites "Hero", "Somebody Like You", "100 in a 55", and "Stepping Stone". The album was released on Pazzo Music through a Universal Music Group subsidiary, Fontana Distribution. The band offered a free, special edition of the album to their devoted local fans at a concert at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 29, 2008.
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