recorded eight tracks which were released on a compact cassette, Gyroscope Demo, in June 1999, with only 500 copies made. While performing on the Perth live circuit the members also had work or school commitments. The band provided support slots for Reel Big Fish (October 1999), Toe to Toe and 28 Days (December), Millencolin (February 2000), The Living End, Unwritten Law. Two independent extended plays, Scalectrix (April 2000) and Means to an End were recorded and issued on cassette in 2000, where the former also appeared on CD. From December 2000 the band went on a six-month hiatus when Nassif travelled to Canada to study. Both EPs were combined on cassette, in April 2001 (originally available in four different covers), as Injuring Yourself Whilst Making Music. Upon Nassif's return in June 2001, the group signed with Redline Records, owned by fellow Perth rockers, Jebediah, and they supported that band on an Australian tour. Gyroscope's first release for Redline was another EP, Take Time (May 2002). In October that year Juice Magazine named them as one of the next big things along with The Vines, Jet and The Datsuns. At the end of 2002 Gyroscope won a WAMi Award for "Most Popular Local Original Punk Act". Gyroscope signed with Festival Mushroom Records at the beginning of 2003. On 3 February that year, with Jedediah, they supported a gig by international headliners Jimmy Eat World at The Globe, Prahran East. Gyroscope issued two more EPs in that year: Midnight Express in May – which contained the live favourite "Fire Away". Driving for the Storm / Doctor Doctor followed in September, and received airplay on Triple J radio across Australia. "Doctor Doctor" was listed at No. 92 on the station's Hottest 100 for that year. Sound Shattering Sound 2004 was Gyroscope's breakthrough year. They supported international visitors including Blink-182, Brand New, Thursday, Dashboard Confessional (their lead singer, Chris Carrabba, insisted that they open for his group upon hearing Gyroscope's EP), Sparta, Saves the Day and The Get Up Kids. A new single, "Safe Forever", came out in March 2004 and earned Gyroscope more mainstream exposure, it peaked in the top 100 of the ARIA Singles Chart. Their first studio album for Festival Mushroom Records, Sound Shattering Sound, was released on 14 June 2004. It debuted at No. 37 on the ARIA Albums Chart in the following week—a culmination of seven years' work while