Biography: The Suicide Machines Although many mistake alterna-ska punkers the Suicide Machines as being from California, where most of the genre's bands come from, they're in fact Detroit natives. Starting off in the early '90s, the quartet consists of Jason Navarro (vocals), Dan Lukacinsky (guitar/vocals), Royce Nunley (bass/vocals), and Erin Pitman (drums), and released their major label debut, Destruction By Definition, for Hollywood in 1996. The album received rave reviews from several publications, including Alternative Press, which named it one of the best American pop albums of that year; due to repeated touring, the debut sold 200,000 copies and was #15 on Soundscan's ranking of 1997's best-selling alternative releases. Returning to the studio for their second album, the band spent more time strengthening their sound and songwriting. When Battle Hymns appeared in mid-1998, it was apparent that the hard work paid off -- it was an improvement over the debut. Pittman left the band during this time, allowing fellow fan Ryan Vandeberghe to step in 1998. The Suicide Machines' self-titled third LP followed in early 2000. "Killing Blow", from the band's 2001 release Steal This Record, was another favorite among the punk crowd, but changes within in the band were happening. Founding member and bassist Royce Nunley opted for a change, leaving The Suicide Machines in March 2002 and starting Blueprint76. The rowdy retrospective The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines: 1995-2001 appeared in fall 2002. Their deal with Hollywood quickly fizzled before the year's end, but it wasn't a missed opportunity. The Suicide Machines signed with the indie imprint SideOneDummy months later and released A Match and Some Gasoline in June. The band also prepped for their sixth apperance on the annual Vans Warped Tour later that summer. ~ Greg Prato.