Sanchez was the lead singer and guitarist for Shabütie, which formed in Nyack, New York, in 1995. Shabutie released several EPs and wrote several songs which would eventually be released on "The Second Stage Turbine Blade". The band broke up after Nate Kelley walked out on a performance, but was later reformed with Josh Eppard replacing Nate Kelley on drums. This new band was dubbed Coheed and Cambria, named after the characters Sanchez had written about in Paris. Coheed and Cambria achieved success on the East Coast after releasing and touring "The Second Stage Turbine Blade", and gained mainstream success with the release of "", thanks to the single "A Favor House Atlantic".