Year Long Disaster

by Katherine Fulton Taking their cues from the blues-rock and Southern rock movements of the 1970s, Los Angeles-based Year Long Disaster began with Daniel Davies, the group's lead singer and guitarist. While struggling with a drug habit in April 2003, he met Rich Mullins, bassist and founding member of Karma to Burn. Mullins was himself battling addiction -- after leaving Karma to Burn to play with the Dallas, TX, band Speedealer (and hoping the move would help him outrun his problems), he was kicked out of the new group and went to Holland. Friends there convinced him to take some recordings to industry friends in Los Angeles; Mullins was only planning to stay in the city for a month when he met Davies. The two became fast friends, and within a month of knowing each other, they both went into rehab. After a month of initial treatment and six months in a sober-living halfway house, the duo completed the program in December 2003. In November 2004, Davies and Mullins saw drummer Brad Hargreaves playing a gig with Hours and Minutes and invited him to an informal jam session, not knowing that the percussionist was a member of Third Eye Blind. Hargreaves agreed to join them -- the trio bonded quickly and formed Year Long Disaster shortly afterward. After signing with Volcom Entertainment, the group's self-titled debut album was released in October 2007.