The American Northwest has long been a locus of independent rock for sometime. So it should come as little surprise that Roy's music bristles with a refreshing naturalism that leaves no room for posing, just warm jangling guitars, hooky songs and smart lyrics.

After releasing three EPS, including five-song CD Tacomatose (a nod to their hometown of Tacoma) on Initial Records, the quartet signed with Fueled By Ramen Records. It's full-length debut Big City Sin and Small Town Redemption is comprised of fourteen tunes recorded with Matt Bayles (Deftones, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden), which show-off the band's deft ability to veer from insurgent country gentle-swagger to lush walls of guitar-sound.

Featuring former Botch members, Dave Verellen and Brian Cook (also of These Arms Are Snakes) as well as Harkonen frontman Ben Verellen and bassist Mike Cooper, one might be expecting a font for sonic aggression from such post-hardcore luminaries. But to the contrary, Roy's neo-classic American rock/pop songwriting style is truly more timeless than the changing flavors of the underground. Says Brian on the impetus to go a quieter route "When you spend years and years playing loud music, touring with loud bands, and attending hundreds or hardcore and metal shows, you reach a point where you need crave variety or you get totally burnt out. We all still love hardcore, and we're excited to still be playing loud music in our other bands, but it's also very rewarding to balance ourselves out with pop songs."

In September 2003, Roy toured with nouveau-country punks The Weakerthans. A better match couldn't be imagined. Both bands are comprised of punk rockers turned to classic sounds finding artistic and lyric possibilities in mid-tempo tunes without losing a drop of energetic enthusiasm. Big City Sin and Small Town Redemption is an epic realization of the genius hinted at on the EPs. Roy tells intimate stories, opens up, even cracks the occasional one liner("They Cut the Chord" has an obstetric theme that's absurdly funny). Ranging from perdurably catchy, buoyant pop songs rife with clever, poignant lyricism to acoustic guitars and sublime, drawling lyrics – the band covers the spectrum. Roy manages a light touch communicating the day-to-day challenge of gay identity on "Never Getting Married." But next, it's power pop anthemics on "Anytime Now" .

And how has reaction been to the seemingly radical switch-up, among underground rock fans? "The initial shock of Botch and Harkonen guys doing this pop-folk thing was little weird – more and more people are coming up to me and talking about how certain songs really speak to them, which is totally new to me. I'm just used to people telling me how songs totally made them want to mosh," Brian adds with a laugh.

Roy will support the early 2004 release with national and international touring.