The musical outfit began in rather minimalist fashion when Jon was only seventeen, with the other members of the outfit being a drum machine and a bass player. Always wanting to be more than a simple a rock band, V.A.S.T. has attempted to live up to its name through making its live shows a full-on sensory experience, employing display monitors and other visual gimmicks onstage.
Their real rise to fame began when a local radio station granted consistent air-time to their demo tape, after which Crosby sent demo tapes to New York City recording companies, eventually signing with Elektra Records. Thomas Froggatt, Steve Clark, and Rowan Robertson made up the hastily-assembled band along with Crosby. After touring America and releasing their first album named simply V.A.S.T (1998), they began work on a second album, entitled Music for the People (2000). Before it was finished, Robertson left in pursuit of a solo career. After auditioning, Justin Cotta was chosen to replace him. The new quartet began another US tour. In 2001 Froggatt and Clark decided to leave the band to form their own, named Ether.