Bringing back the traditional rock sound of acts like Tom Petty, the Band, and Pure Prairie League, Atlanta-based band the Villains got their chops as studio musicians. Members Magno, Dan Call, Sean McNally, and Michael Wilkes knew one another from supporting mainstream and indie acts on the road and in the studio, but they always desired a more creative outlet. Adding Jimmy James Schmitt to the lineup gave the Villains a dynamic frontman along with an additional vocalist and songwriter, and after a series of gigs around Georgia, they headed into the studio. Featuring two tracks co-written with Peter Stroud, guitarist with Sheryl Crow and Don Henley, their self-titled debut album landed in early 2010. In summer of that same year, it was re-released by Rock Ridge Music as Just Another Saturday Night with a cover of Pure Prairie League's "Amie" added to the end of the track list. Tours opening for Blues Traveler and Sister Hazel followed. The band returned in 2012 with Velocity, released by the Universal imprint Toucan Cove and produced by Stan Lynch, who had previously worked with Tom Petty and the Eagles.