text: Hawk Nelson was a Canadian Christian pop-punk band from Peterborough, Ontario. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums. Bassist/backing vocalist Daniel Biro was the band's only founding member to remain throughout their entire history.
  History
  Early independent releases (2000–2003)
  In 2000, Dunn, Clark, and Paige founded a Peterborough-based group called "SWISH", while Biro sang lead vocals for a four-piece group called the "Cheese Monkeys from Planet Nine" from Barrie, Ontario. In 2000, SWISH released their first independent album, Riding Around the Park on Mime Radio, an independent record label based in Peterborough. In January 2002, Biro moved to Peterborough to join Dunn, Clark and Paige and SWISH was renamed "Reason Being", before finally settling with the name "Hawk Nelson". In 2003, they released their second independent album, Saturday Rock Action.
  Letters to the President (2004–2005)
  They continued to perform and tour independently in Ontario, Canada, before being signed with Tooth & Nail Records, largely on the recommendation of Trevor McNevan, the lead singer of fellow Tooth & Nail bands Thousand Foot Krutch and FM Static. McNevan, also from Peterborough, Ontario, is credited with discovering the band. In July 2004, Hawk Nelson released their debut album Letters to the President. It was produced by Aaron Sprinkle and McNevan, who also co-wrote the album's fourteen songs. He has also appeared on some of the band's songs, as well as in their video for the song "California".