Editing Sum 41 (section)

===1994–1998: Formative years===
Sum 41 has its origins in the band Kaspir, which was formed by [[Deryck Whibley]] and Grant McVittie in 1994, inspired by [[Weezer]] and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. As time went on, the band's drummer was replaced by [[Steve Jocz]] and the music became increasingly inspired by [[NOFX]], particularly their 1991 album ''[[Ribbed]]''. Seeing this change as too sonically dissimilar to their original sound, they decided to form a new band and to change their sound because they sounded "like the early nineties rock music we used to listen to, and don't anymore".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Whibley|first=Deryck|title=Walking Disaster|publisher=[[Gallery Books]]|year=2024|isbn=9781408719732|location=New York|language=en}}</ref><ref name="99.9 Radio">{{cite AV media|people=[[Steve Jocz]]|date=October 11, 2023|title=Steve Jocz Aka Stevo Of Sum 41 Interview On 99.9 Punk World Radio FM (1st Interview In 10 Years)|type=Radio interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih2e_XeoOQs|access-date=October 29, 2023|time=2m–7m|publisher=99.9 Punk World Radio FM}}</ref> The band chose the name "Sum 41" after looking at the calendar and counting how many days it had been from the start of their summer break to the day the [[Warped Tour 1996|Warped Tour]] was on and seeing that it was forty-one days.<ref name=":0" /> The band debuted its new name during [[Battle of the Bands|Supernova's Battle of the Bands]] on September 28, 1996.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Exclaim Gormely">{{cite web|first=Ian|last=Gormely|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sum_41_survive_teen_stardom_substance_abuse_and_changing_tastes_to_rise_again_on_out_for_blood|title=Sum 41 Survive Teen Stardom, Substance Abuse and Changing Tastes to Rise Again on 'Out for Blood'|work=[[Exclaim!]]|date=July 12, 2019|access-date=December 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412015924/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sum_41_survive_teen_stardom_substance_abuse_and_changing_tastes_to_rise_again_on_out_for_blood|archive-date=April 12, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Sam|last=Coare|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-rise-of-sum-41-as-told-through-their-most-important-gigs-deryck-whibley-interview-download-festival|title=The rise of Sum 41, as told through their most important gigs|magazine=[[Kerrang!]]|date=June 5, 2024|access-date=October 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605113349/https://www.kerrang.com/the-rise-of-sum-41-as-told-through-their-most-important-gigs-deryck-whibley-interview-download-festival|archive-date=June 5, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> The first lineup to use this name included Whibley, Jocz, McVittie and Jon Marshall.<ref name="99.9 Radio" /> Another early member was bassist Richard Roy who shortly replaced McVittie.<ref name="auto"/>

Their first televised live performance was at ''Jonopalooza'', on the Canadian teen talk show [[Jonovision]] hosted by [[Trailer Park Boys]] star, and Canadian comedian, [[Jonathan Torrens]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Crowe|url=https://screenrant.com/trailer-park-boys-behind-the-scenes-facts/#jonathan-torrens-hosted-his-own-talk-show|title=It's Not Rocket Appliances: 10 Hilarious Trailer Park Boys Behind-The-Scenes Facts Most Fans Didn't Know|work=[[Screen Rant]]|date=March 3, 2021|access-date=December 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926214513/https://screenrant.com/trailer-park-boys-behind-the-scenes-facts/#jonathan-torrens-hosted-his-own-talk-show|archive-date=September 26, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

The band met their manager and producer [[Greig Nori]], also the lead vocalist of the band [[Treble Charger]], in 1996 at Jonopalooza,<ref name="Exclaim Gormely"/> and Whibley convinced Nori to watch his band perform.<ref name="Exclaim Gormely"/>  Nori was not impressed with the band's songs or the original vocalist Jon Marshall and advised Whibley to be the vocalist instead causing Marshall to leave.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Exclaim Gormely"/>  With Whibley moving to lead vocals and rhythm guitar, [[Dave Baksh]], a friend of Deryck and Steve and fellow student at Exeter High School, joined as lead guitarist.<ref name="auto"/> During the band's first tour in [[New Brunswick]], the band was involved in a near-fatal car accident, when their [[Ford E-Series|Ford Econoline]] [[van]] was [[Side collision|broadsided]] by an [[Ford F-Series|F-150]]; Roy, who was driving the van, quit the band after returning home.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="stevo accident">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbPwG8Vrtbo|title=Sum 41's First Tour Was A DISASTER!|date=August 7, 2024|via=YouTube}}</ref> [[Mark Spicoluk]] briefly filled in as the band's new bassist in 1998, until he was replaced by [[Jason McCaslin]], another friend of the band's and student at Exeter High School, in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd4zA1P_C1E|title=Sum 41 Studio Update 18|date=February 18, 2010|access-date=March 26, 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/zd4zA1P_C1E|archive-date=November 3, 2021|url-status=live|publisher=YouTube }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbPwG8Vrtbo |title=Early Sum 41 History! 1st Tour! Summer! |date=2024-08-07 |last=((Stevo32Drums)) |access-date=2024-08-07 |via=YouTube}} Event occurs from 5:51 to 6:19.</ref> In 1996, the band opened for [[Len (band)|Len]].<ref name="Exclaim Gormely"/>