The Ataris
Formed in 1996, The Ataris have spent nearly three decades touring the world, crafting five studio albums, and building a legacy rooted in heart, vivid narratives, and deeply personal storytelling. Their music is played loud, recorded organically using vintage tones, and brought to life through the warmth of analog tape.
The band originally began as singer-songwriter Kristopher Roe writing songs in his childhood bedroom in Anderson, Indiana, in the early 1990s, using a Fostex 4-track recorder and an Alesis drum machine. Frustrated by the lack of available drummers in his town, Kristopher handed out demo tapes to bands he saw at regional shows, each including his phone number and a want ad for a drummer.
In September 1996, at a show at Bogart's in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kristopher gave a demo to Joe Escalante of The Vandals. Impressed by the tape, Escalante reached out and asked if he would be interested in flying to California to record an album for his new startup label, Kung Fu Records. Kristopher explained that the demo was just him and a drum machine and that he was primarily looking for a drummer. However, he expressed interest in recording if the label could help him find one.
In January 1997, Kristopher flew to Los Angeles and recorded The Ataris’ first album, “Anywhere But Here”. Shortly after, in July of that year, he relocated to Santa Barbara, California, where the band was based for many years. There, he assembled The Ataris’ core touring lineup—Mike Davenport, Chris Knapp, and later John Collura.
Their breakthrough album, “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits” (1999), introduced fans to the cinematic style of songwriting that would become their signature—songs that play like short films, filled with nostalgia, longing, and personal reflection. Tracks like “San Dimas,” “1/15/96,” and “I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone” quickly became fan favorites. The album remains a defining moment in their journey and a testament to their relentless DIY touring spirit, headlining multiple Warped Tours and selling out major tours of their own worldwide.
In 2003, The Ataris truly hit their stride with the critically acclaimed “So Long, Astoria”, taking their storytelling to an even wider audience. Produced by Lou Giordano (Paul Westerberg, Samiam, Goo Goo Dolls, Hüsker Dü), the album featured the singles “In This Diary,” “The Saddest Song,” and their iconic cover of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” Their major-label debut on Columbia Records propelled them into the mainstream, debuting at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and earning gold certification with over a million copies sold. Punk News called it “a landmark in their career,” further expanding on the vivid imagery and raw emotion that have become the band’s signature.
In 2023, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “So Long, Astoria”, The Ataris played two very special, sold out performances at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and the House of Blues in Anaheim, reuniting the live lineup from that era for the first time in over ten years.
Now, The Ataris are back with new music. The spark to return to the studio came from an unlikely source—an iconic piece of television history: Walter White’s Volvo.
A longtime Breaking Bad fan, Roe was offered the chance to buy Walter White’s Volvo from the show’s final episode. That same car played a pivotal role in bringing “Car Song” and The Ataris’ new album to life.
Roe explains, “There was even a receipt left in the glovebox signed by Bryan Cranston as Walter White! I bought the car and then later made a deal with my best friend Bob Hoag—who is also a big fan of the show, as well as the producer of the new album and owner of the studio where I record—to trade him the Volvo for studio time.”
“I always joke that Walter White's Volvo was the key to me finally finishing The Ataris’ new album,” Roe says with a laugh. “The Volvo and that exchange were the push I needed to start recording again—that was the turning point,” he adds. “The first song I recorded was ‘Car Song,’ and from there, everything for the new record just started to take shape and fall into place.”
Their latest single, “Car Song,” is a deeply personal tribute to frontman Kristopher Roe’s father William Roe, a lifelong supporter of the band. To honor his memory, Kristopher is pressing a portion of his father’s ashes into a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl release of the song.
"My dad was our biggest fan, he was a regular on our original website’s message board, sending out VHS bootlegs of live sets he would film and interacting with everyone—everyone knew him. He truly lived and breathed our music,” Roe says.
“When I saw an article a few years back about a place that would press a loved one's ashes into vinyl, I immediately knew—that's what I’m going to do. What better way to celebrate my father’s life than to make him an actual physical part of the music he always supported and encouraged me to create?”
Roe’s father passed away in 2014 due to complications related to his years of battling alcoholism. In a further effort to turn his father’s story into something positive, a portion of the profits from this 7-inch release will go toward helping those struggling with or affected by alcoholism and addiction.
“For anyone who knew my dad, they all agree this would be the biggest honor for him.”
“In addition to the limited vinyl variant that will contain Kristopher’s father’s ashes, There will also be a turquoise and silver colored variant that has been exact color matched to the ring his father wore his entire life. A ring that also served as his wedding band.
The Ataris’ songs remain rooted in honest storytelling and real-life experiences—songs that speak to anyone who’s ever felt love, loss, or the restless spirit of being young and free.
With the release of “Car Song,” The Ataris prove their journey is far from over. It is the first single from their first full-length album since 2007. Roe has been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the album between tour dates, with a release date to be determined.
Booking
David Pollack
- El Presidente
- dave@destiny-tourbooking.com
Booking Assistant
Ara Walter
- they/them
- ara@destiny-tourbooking.com