KSM is an American all-girl teen rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band consists of Shelby Cobra (lead vocals & guitar), Katie Cecil (rhythm guitar & backing vocals), Sophia Melon (bass guitar & backing vocals), Kate Cabebe (drums) and Shae Padilla (lead guitar). They gained popularity in summer 2009 when they covered the song "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick. The song was used to promote the new television series 10 Things I Hate About You on the ABC Family network.

Formation

KSM was developed as a joint project between The Walt Disney Company and former chart-topping girl-band The Go-Gos. The Go-Go's were looking for a girl band to mentor and held auditions for a new pop band in 2006. Four talented teens were chosen during auditions, but eventually the sound was changed from pop to rock, and with the addition of lead singer Shelby Cobra in February 2008, KSM was created. The Go-Go's are no longer associated with the project.
 

2009: Read Between the Lines

On September 22, 2009, KSM released their debut album Read Between the Lines, which was written and produced by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil. The album reached a peak chart postion of 145 on the U.S. Billboard charts. KSM is signed with Walt Disney Records (part of the Disney Music Group) and promoted through various Disney endeavors. They have toured as an opening act for fellow Disney recording artists Mitchel Musso, Demi Lovato, and Jonas Brothers, as well as opening for Paramore and David Archuleta.

"Read Between the Lines", the first single and title track off the album, was named iTunes Single of the Week. Billboard's album review refers to the band as a G-rated version of the Go-Go's but with the same "distinctive individual looks, spunky stage presence and monster riffs". The review calls Avril Lavigne the band's "closest cousin", but with more punk energy, and says that "the act's rock rings harder and truer than Miley Cyrus." An Allmusic review says "the five girls pull it off with panache, finishing the songs off with a 2000s teen pop gloss, or sometimes a '90s girl-ska-punk". Other reviews were not as favorable. While comparing the band's sound to No Doubt, lead singer Cobra's vocals are called "limited" and on the "worst squeaky side of Gwen Stefani.