Craig Montoya grew up in Spokane, Washington, where he raced BMX bikes and dealt drugs. When metalhead Craig decided to take up an instrument, he decided to learn the bass because everyone around him played the guitar and bass players were in higher demand. When Craig was seventeen, police raided the Montoya house; luckily for Craig he was not home at the time. Later, Craig spent a short time in jail on a DWI. Afterwards he decided to leave and move to Portland, where he got a job washing boats and played with the band Soul Hammer. Art Alexakis had placed an ad for a bassist for Everclear, and when Soul Hammer split up, Craig responded to the ad. According to Montoya, Art talked to so loud and fast about his plans for the band that Craig had to "hold the phone about a foot away from my ear."