In fact the band's true will and desire can be reflected (and now foreshadowed) in one of their earlier mission statements... "SDSS will continue to plug every hole, whisper in every ear and beat down every door so that they might carry their music to where they know it is intended to be." And did they ever!? They weren't satisfied with where their local scene could take them, so they moved to Atlanta, GA. When that didn't pan out, they enlisted in the musician service, Taxi. Through Taxi, Crossfade was able to get their music heard by many different entities, including Chris "Hot Rod" Long, an L.A. based manager.

He took an instant liking to the band and signed on as their manager. He was able to help lineup some showcases for Crossfade to show the industry folks that they were indeed for real. Matt Pinfield was one notable A&R Rep that saw the same vision as the band. As a result, Crossfade signed on with Columbia/Earshot Records in late 2002. But it would be another year and a half of patience and waiting for the band, before their single and album would see the light of day.

The 1st thing the label wanted to do was change the band name from Sugardaddy Superstar. The original name selected was actually Upshifter, but that didn't last long. Crossfade was then made the band name for the long haul with everyone's approval. Crossfade also found out that they wouldn't be recording their debut CD, but that they were going to use the material recorded that got them signed, the same music intended as demos! So within the confines of Sugarstar Studios, the band's home studio, they went back to work polishing the tracks and songs they already had and adding 2 more, "So Far Away" and "The Unknown".

The recordings were then shipped off to Randy Staub for mixing. Not only did the Crossfade write and record ALL their matieral on their own, they also created all the album art work and layout. Quite an accomplishment for a band that struggled to draw much of a crowd at some of their hometown shows.

Finally in April 2004, their self titled debut, hit record stores to much fanfare... with "Cold" already climbing the charts, despite no video at the time. The band was now ready to hit the road in support of their new album. Barry Corley signed on as tour manager, but just as everything looked like a go, they were dealt a blow from within, as one of the founding members, Brian, would have to resign from the group, due to a persistant shoulder injury that would prevent him from excessive touring, leaving the band's future in doubt. After coming to a mutual agreement as a band, it was decided the band would carry on without Brian on drums. At Corley's suggestion, they brought in Columbia native James Branham. The rest is history to be made.