Everybody misses the golden music era of the 90s, and that's where Striking Back has drawn inspiration. For their sophomore effort, The Heartbreaker EP, they took it a step further than pop rock—and wrote with some very talented rappers. The seeds were planted in 2009—as Seattle MCs Hyphen8d and Parker Joe stayed with front man Jordan Thompson during the entire recording process of his freshman effort, The Restless EP—helmed by mega producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Jack's Mannequin). "When I left Santa Monica, we had captured a 90s vibe with cool twists in songs like Dark Day Afternoon," says Thompson. "It was a life-changing experience recording with Jim—we all learned so much from him." The new record continues to capture that 90s vibe. "I think the sound is immediately accessible," Hyphen8d comments. "Even if someone isn't a 'rock person' or a 'rap person', they can appreciate the blend. The earnestness of the content and lyrics, the solid music--it's all there."