Indie rock outfit the New Amsterdams were pioneered by Get Up Kids vocalist/guitarist Matthew Pryor as a side project, and his personal emotion continued to be redefined and molded upon a musical cast of energetic pop. Joining Pryor were drummer Jake Cardwell, guitarist Alex Brahl, and Get Up Kids bassist Robert Pope. Since forming the Get Up Kids in 1996, Pryor needed another outlet for his stripped melodies to sheer off the typical emo associations found with his other band. So with grainy acoustics and lyrical dynamics, the New Amsterdams issued their debut, Never You Mind, in fall 2000.