The beginnings of the rock group Graham Colton Band came when singer/guitarist Graham Colton, born and raised in Oklahoma City, moved to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University and met a local guitarist known only as Turtle. The two began writing songs together before hooking up with another guitarist, Drew Nichols. The fourth member of the group was teenage drummer Jordan Elder, who in turn brought in bassist Ryan Tallent. The Graham Colton Band built up a local following that eventually led to an invitation to open for Counting Crows. That was followed by other support bills with John Mayer, Jewel, and the Dave Matthews Band. And all that exposure in turn led to a contract with Universal Records. In July 2003, the group went into Atlanta's Southern Tracks studio with producer Brendan O'Brien (known for his work with Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen) behind the board. The result was their debut album, Drive, released in May 2004 and accompanied, naturally, by extensive touring.