The band had not initially decided on a name until Nathan Wallace wore a shirt bearing a patch which read "Factory 81", and the rest of the band thought that "it sounded good", deciding that this would be the name of their band. it was reissued by
The Orchard in 2000 Factory 81 also appeared on the compilation
Take a Bite Outta Rhyme: A Rock Tribute to Rap, contributing a
cover of
Cypress Hill's "
Insane in the Brain". The compilation peaked at No. 195 on the
Billboard 200. In November 2000, Factory 81 toured alongside
Mudvayne,
Kittie and
Apartment 26. The band signed to
Jive Records, but left the label in 2002. In 2003, bassist Kevin Lewis and drummer Andy Cyrulnik left the group, prompting Factory 81 to disband. In 2017, Bill Schultz and Kevin Lewis started a new band, Minus Knives, along with singer Brandon Espinoza, and drummer Greg Wroblewski. A compilation of earlier studio content was made public on streaming services in 2019. == Musical style and influences ==