Mediocre Bad Guys began in the fall of 2005 when three friends and music buffs in Mount Airy NC – drummer Les Slate, bassist Jerry Chapman, and guitarist Gary Manfredi – started jamming on some Jack Johnson tunes. Eventually MBG secured a few gigs at a local coffee house, attracting larger crowds and a steadier following. With Slate's vocals hinting at Johnson's without appearing to imitate, Mediocre Bad Guys were on their way.

Around 2006 the band added some songs outside the Jack Johnson b...