San Francisco's
Hey Willpower began as
Imperial Teen bassist Will Schwartz's homage to the hip-hop, urban, and dance-pop he grew up with, such as
L'Trimm and
Janet and
Michael Jackson's singles. The original incarnation of the band included
the Aislers Set's Amy Linton, but she was too busy with her main band to spend a lot of time with
Hey Willpower. A mutual friend introduced Schwartz to
Tussle's Tomo Yasuda, and the pair were soon practicing and recording furiously. In 2005, their self-titled EP introduced their dancefloor-savvy sound; appropriately, the group's live show also included a troupe of dancers. The
Hundredaire single -- a witty tribute to
André 3000's "Millionaire" -- arrived in 2007, as did the Dance EP. Later that year,
Hey Willpower's debut album,
P.D.A., was released in Europe; Tomlab released it in the U.S. in early 2008. ~ Heather Phares