Penning their lyrics in English despite their Dutch origins, seasoned pop-rock
group Di-Rect emerged from The Hague in 1999 as the brainchild of a then-teenage
Jamie Westland. Led at the time by singer and guitarist Tim Akkerman, the band
instantly impressed local tastemakers, signing to the EMI-distributed Dino Music
within mere months of their formation. Ready to let their ever-growing oeuvre
loose by 2001, they debuted with the national Top 30 single "Just the Way I Do,"
an animated pop-punk number that doubled up as the opener and lead single from
their debut album, Discover....