The Make Aim High, With Help From Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers

For most young bands, finding someone -- anyone -- to give their music a chance is often half the journey on the road to success. For the Chico, Calif.-based trio the Make, they thankfully didn't have to go too far to find some welcoming ears. But, to some outside observers, their benefactor, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, might appear to be an unusual one. Not so, says keyboard player and vocalist Sarah Ann.

"Aaron and Jeff [Schneeweis, guitarist/vocalist] and Trevor [Sellers, bassist] all grew up together," she tells Spinner. "They're longtime friends."

The Super Bowl champion was a fan of Schneeweis and Sellers' previous band, Number One Gun, so it was a logical move for Rodgers to sign their new project to his label, Suspended Sunrise Recordings.

"It was perfect time with how it all worked out," remembers Ann. "Whenever Aaron has time off, he loves to come by the studio to see what Jeff is working on. And Jeff was writing all these really great songs."

Even without the stamp of approval from the likely 2011 NFL MVP, the Make proably would have found their audience. The group's debut EP, 'This Box,' is a sparkling collection of pop that lays out personal and romantic triumphs and defeats on a bed of candy-coated synthesizer and guitar melodies. The band also had some time to woo potential fans this fall during their tour with emo heartthrobs Mayday Parade and We Are the In Crowd.

The Make returned home to put the finishing touches on their debut album, a full-length that Sarah Ann says will already show this young band making some steps forward.

"We are writing a bunch of different kind of music, and I think we're all going through our '80s phases. It's definitely a lot different. No matter what though, it still sounds like Jeff's production work on it. People will still be able to tell that it's us."