In Mid-November 1993, LINK 80 is conceptualized. By march 1994, they play their first show. The line-up at the time is Joey (drums), Matt (guitar), Adam (bass), Jeff (vocals), Joey R. (more vocals). Over the next year, they play a handful of shows, practice a lot, and record two demos at the famed Gilman St.

Summer of 1995, the band recorded three songs for a split seven inch with local heros, WET NAP. They spent the entire summer working on the record; spray painting a wall for the cover and taking pictures for the insert. Sometime before the recording and after the Berkeley Square show, Matt met a freshmen at his high school Aaron Nagel-Werd. Aaron ended up playing trumpet on the seven inch, despite the fact he had on ly been to two practices prior to the recording. Another important note. Sometime after the recording and before the next show (which wouldn't be until 7/28/95), Adam met a guy named Nick at an epicenter show in the city. He called Matt at two a.m. to tell him he had found a new singer, and now they could get rid of Jeff. That next weekend, they had practice at Matt's house in Oakland because the Richmond police were getting upset with their "noise." Nick came to that practice and fit like a glove. He was perfect for LINK 80.

Late that summer they played their first show with Nick. It was in the backyard of a fraternity on Bancroft Avenue in Berkeley. After it was over, Nick, Matt, and Adam played Police covers with the guys from Nerousis.

Over the next 7 months LINK 80 would go on to play shows practically every weekend. Wherever possible, whenever possible. It became everyone's driving force (breaking up many relationships and causing a drop in many grades). In March of 1996, they played a show with SKANKIN' PICKLE. This is when they first met Mike Park. At the time, he was still working with Dill. He talked to them about a possible seven inch, but since they had already put out three (the WET NAP split, a split with SUBINCISION, and their own 'Remember How It Used To Be'), they declined, and talks of an album arose. Soon after, Mike left Dill to create his own Asian Man Records.

4/7/96. LINK 80 left for their first 'tour.' It was only for a week, but from that point on it was decided that that was all they wanted to do.

On June 28th, they would leave for their first US tour, but before they left they recorded seven songs at Fantasy in Berkeley. They were the first part of the album "17 Reasons," which they would finish recording towards the end of that summer with Andy Ernst at Art of Ears.

That first U.S. tour took them to Southern California, Tijuana, Arizona, Colorodo, Arkansas, Tennesse (where they got pulled over twice in one day!), Virgina, NJ, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York (where a bookful of events took place, from sleeping on roofs and in parks, to wandering nyc all night, along a fair share of unspeakable what-nots).

After returning form tour and completing the album, LINK 80 continued their "weekend warrior" tours, leaving every weekend for three days of nonstop driving and touring... but always returning to the Bay Area in time for school, of course!

Such touring continued during the '96-'97 school year, with shows getting increasingly bigger. On April 18th, 1997, LINK 80 went back to Fantasy for three days to record an EP, "Killing Katie" (kill link eighty, get it?). The line up at this time was Joey (drums), Matt (guitar/vocals), Adam (bass/vocals), Aaron (trumpet), Seth (sax), Nick (vocals), Kramer (trumpet), and Jason (sax).

Two months later, on June 13th (a friday), LINK 80 would leave for their second U.S. tour. It would last two months and be some of the greatest weeks of their lives. They would play 35 shows in 22 states.