Cartel is an American pop punk band from Conyers, Georgia, United States, that formed in 2003. The group was featured on the MTV television series Band in a Bubble in 2007 as part of an experiment where they were given 20 days to write and record a full album. The current members of the band include vocalist/bassist Will Pugh, lead guitarist Joseph Pepper, guitarist Nic Hudson, and drummer Kevin Sanders. In April 2020, Pugh released an EP for a new side project, TAURIDS, with fellow Nashville residents Bobby Holland and Adam Bokesch—both musicians and audio producers/engineers from the band The Daybreaks. History Member backgrounds Nic Hudson was born on July 6, 1982 in Conyers, Georgia. Hudson has played rhythm guitar for the band since late 2004 until bassist Jeff Lett left in 2011. Hudson took over as the band's bassist until 2012, then switched back to rhythm guitar. Joseph Pepper is the lead guitarist of Cartel. Pepper was born on May 15, 1983, in Tucson, Arizona, but moved to Conyers, Georgia, as a child. Pepper learned to play guitar early in his life and discovered that he wanted to pursue a career as a musician. His first playing experiences were at a small family church in Conyers. He met Will Pugh and Kevin Sanders in high school. Will Pugh was born on May 4, 1984, in Conyers, Georgia, and is the lead singer, lyricist, and current bassist of the band. Pugh met the other three members of Cartel as a student at Heritage High School. After graduating from Heritage, Pugh spent a year at Georgia State University in Atlanta, then transferred to the University of Georgia in Athens for his sophomore year of college. He left UGA after the 2003–04 school year to record and promote his band's first full-length album, Chroma. In 2008, he married longtime girlfriend, Caitlin. An avid golfer since the age of seven, Pugh plays when he has a free moment with bandmates Kevin Sanders and Nic Hudson, and he also follows the career of professional golfer Tiger Woods. Pugh also builds and custom fits golf clubs for himself and others. Kevin Sanders is Cartel's drummer. He was born on October 9, 1982 in DeKalb County, Georgia, and grew up in Conyers, Georgia. He started playing the trumpet in 1995 and picked up the drums during Christmas 1996. He plays SJC Drums. While he is shown