Supernova (American band)

Supernova
Cover of Supernova's 1995 album Ages 3 & Up (left to right: Jodey Lawrence, Art Mitchell and Dave Collins)
Background information
Origin	Costa Mesa, California United States
Genres	Pop punk, punk rock
Years active	1989 - present (on hiatus since 2010)
Labels	Amphetamine Reptile, Atlantic, Sympathy for the Record Industry
Associated acts	Servotron, Man or Astro-man?, The Aquabats
Website	Official website
Members	Art Mitchell Dave "Nova" Collins Courtney "Chainsaw" Pollock
Past members	Hayden "Hank" Thais (1989-1994) Jodey Lawrence (1994-2008)

Supernova is an American pop punk band formed in Costa Mesa, California in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour line-up. They are perhaps best known by wider audiences for their song "Chewbacca", which was featured on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's 1994 independent film Clerks. They are also known for the song "Up & Down", which was performed in 2007 on the Nick Jr. children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!.

The original line-up of Supernova formed in Costa Mesa, California in 1989, consisting of bassist/vocalist Art Mitchell, guitarist/vocalist Hayden Thais and drummer Dave Collins. Noted for their energetic live shows and outlandish science fiction-themed aesthetic in which the members claimed to be aliens from a distant planet. the band quickly became a popular draw within the Orange County punk scene, independently releasing a slew of 7" singles and EPs throughout the early 1990s and receiving regular airplay on local and college radio.

In 1994, Supernova received significant exposure when their song "Chewbacca" - a mostly instrumental piece featuring the band members growling like Wookiees - was featured in the successful independent comedy Clerks and its respective soundtrack. That same year, however, Thais departed from the group's line-up, later joining the popular surf rock outfit Man or Astro-man? and fronting the robot-themed New Wave rock band Servotron.

After hiring Jodey Lawrence as their new guitarist, Supernova recorded their debut studio album Ages 3 & Up in 1995 on Amphetamine Reptile Records. The release of the album was followed by extensive touring as the band joined the line-up of the inaugural Vans Warped Tour in 1995, spending the remainder of the decade regularly touring with such notable Orange County bands like The Aquabats and Reel Big Fish, as well as opening for bands including The Buzzcocks, Dick Dale, The Presidents of the United States of America and The Supersuckers. In 1998, Supernova released their second album Rox, accompanied by another appearance on the Warped Tour in 1999. Rox was soon followed by Pop as a Weapon in 2001, a compilation album collecting all of the band's early vinyl releases.