Dead To Me

Emerging in late 2003 after San Francisco's One Man Army disbanded, punk revivalists Dead to Me formed around OMA veterans Jack Dalrymple on guitar and vocals alongside guitarist Brandon Pollack. Western Addiction bassist Chicken, also employed at Fat Wreck Chords, soon came aboard to share vocal duties with Dalrymple. Their working-class sound echoed OMA while fusing late-'70s punk with the sonic grit of a band like Dillinger Four. The lineup reached completion when Chicken's cousin Ian Anderson took over drumming. Given the members' prior musical experience, the group quickly built a strong local following through scattered shows alongside acts such as the Swingin' Utters, the Briefs, NOFX, and the Adolescents. Fat Wreck signed them in early 2006, after which they recorded their debut with producer Alex Newport, known for work with At the Drive-In and the Locust. Cuban Ballerina arrived that July, its socially conscious lyrics centering on addiction and recovery, much of the material written by Chicken following his recent completion of rehab.