Ben Brewer, a.k.a. Benjamin Bronfman, grandson of billionaire Edgar Bronfman Sr., met Olsen in high school. The two have played in several bands together. One of these bands turned into an early incarnation of The Exit. In 2000 Brewer met Jeff DaRosa while attending Emerson College in Boston. DaRosa grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts and was the bassist of the local punk band The Vigilantes. Brewer convinced DaRosa to join the group, and they started practicing in basements around Boston. The band made a demo tape which made its way into the hands of Daniel Rey known for his work with The Ramones. Rey produces the band’s first record, New Beat, which came out on Some Records, a label started by Walter Schreifels.
The band started touring in early 2001, booking their own shows. New Beat received favorable reviews,[citation needed] [1] many of which likened the band to The Clash, The Police and U2.[citation needed] The artwork was done by Damian Girardi of the Explosion.
The Exit then entered the studio with producer Ron Saint Germain (Bad Brains, Tool, Sonic Youth) to produce a follow up, Home For An Island. The album featured Brewer singing lead for the first time, tribal rhythms, dubbed out guitars, and psychedelic bridges.
The album was a political response to life in post-9/11 New York City. Songs include «Soldier,» «Home For an Island,» «Let’s Go to Haiti» and «Back to the Rebels.» The album was originally released in 2004 on Some Records, but in 2005 The Exit signed to Wind-Up Records and re-released Home for an Island, adding three new songs «Sun Will Rise in Queens,» «Pressure Cooker» and «Warm Summer Days.» Reviews were good.[2] The Exit supported Muse on two different US tours.
On August 15, 2006, through a post on their MySpace blog, the band announced the departure of Jeff DaRosa. Olsen and Brewer noted the band will continue with a yet-to-be-announced lineup. The band is said to be working on their third album but since the departure of Jeff DaRosa the band has yet to release an album or play any shows.
M.I.A. (Mathangi Arulpragasam) is engaged to Ben Brewer. Jeff DaRosa is married to Michelle DaRosa.
