The Maybellines started in the fall of 1998, solidified when Julie Dorough agreed, over large plates of hummus and tabouli at a local Syrian restaurant, to sing on a project that drummer Al Adams and guitarist Mike Levasseur were working on. The project (a demo tape of power-pop anthems left over from Al and Mike’s days in the Peace Corps) went so well that Julie was immediately asked to join the band, and auditions were held for a bassist. It didn’t take too long before they met Dave Reeves, a spindly musician with a taste for sixties pop and having fun.