Formed in 1988 and hailing from Berkeley, CA, Samiam was first signed to Hopeless in 2000 and released the albums Astray and Whatever's Got You Down. They have toured with acts such as Bad Religion, Millencolin and Blink-182. Launching from the same late 80s do-it-yourself punk circles that spawned bands like Green Day, Samiam's distinctive blend of melodic phrases atop a hardcore foundation found the band standing out from the typical fare of the time. Recorded with Chris Dugan at Green Day's Jingletown Studios, Trips is Samiam's 8th studio album, their first release in over 5 years