The Kickovers were a pop punk band formed by Nate Albert, former guitarist of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
After Nate left the Bosstones to go to Brown University, he started writing songs, which were not like his previous band. In 2001, he got a band together with Bosstones drummer Joe Sirois, short time Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh and another Boston, MA musician Johnny Rioux. They initially joined under the name The Brakes which they had to change because of a New Jersey band called The Break. That's when they took on the moniker The Kickovers.