Step Forward was founded in 1989 in Umeå, Sweden, by Dennis Lyxzén and his friends, Toft Stade, Jens Nordén and Henrik Jansson. Step Forward was one of the very first hardcore punk bands in Sweden that held on to the American straight edge lifestyle. They soon released their first demo "I Am Me" and in October 1990, their second demo, "Does It Make a Difference". During their existence they played a handful of gigs, mostly in the north of Sweden where they are from.