Chicago Emocore outfit FALL OUT BOY, hailing from the Wilmette suburbs, came together during 2001, the band including well respected figures from the Illinois Metal and Hardcore scene such as ex-ARMA ANGELUS frontman Pete Wentz and former RACETRAITOR and KILL THE SLAVEMASTER drummer Andy Hurley. The band had been assembled by Wentz and guitarist Joseph Trohman, pulling in Hurley and then completing the quartet with second guitarist Patrick Stump. The proto-band actually undertook two concerts without having decided upon a title for their enterprise. Putting the question out to the audience, one fan suggested "Fall Out Boy", which was duly adopted.

FALL OUT BOY would adopt a far more melodic stance than their antecedent acts, evidenced on the opening Jared Logan produced three track demo. These tracks would be re-issued in re-mastered format as a split EP shared with PROJECT ROCKET in May 2002. Signing to Uprising Records FALL OUT BOY debuted commercially in February 2003 with 'Fall Out Boy's Evening Out With Your Girl'. Media reaction would be universally enthusiastic, sparking a label bidding battle won out eventually by Island Records. However, Island cautiously chose to let a smaller, independent concern, Fueled By Ramen, the Florida label imprint owned by LESS THAN JAKE drummer Vinnie Balzano, to put out first product whilst they retained an option on a follow up. When May 2003's 'Take This To Your Grave' scored impressively on the Billboard Heatseekers charts, Island exercised their rights and snapped the band up. Beforehand, Fueled By Ramen released an acoustic EP entitled 'My Heart Will Always Be The B-Side To My Tongue', these sessions including a rendition of JOY DIVISION's seminal 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

The change of tack from aggressive core music to mellower tones, dubbed "Softcore", paid dividends when their 2003 major label debut album, the Neal Avron produced 'From Under The Cork Tree', spectacularly hit no.9 on the national US album charts, over 70,000 copies in its first week of sale, given momentum by a top ten hit in 'Sugar, We're Goin' Down'. Japanese versions added an extra track 'The Music Or The Misery'. That Autumn the band was hand picked to headline the 'Nintendo Fusion' US festival tour sharing stages with MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, THE STARTING LINE and BOYS NIGHT OUT.