In the summer of 2002, Los Angeles outfit Dirty Little Secret came together as an official band, although vocalist/guitarist Louis Castle and bassist James Bairian had already spent years as close friends and songwriting partners dating back to high school. Pulling from sources as varied as the Pixies, the Dead Boys, the Psychedelic Furs, and Guns N' Roses, the pair shaped a dark-edged, passion-fueled rock style. They documented that approach on the five-song EP Long Gone in 2004, which appeared the following year in Australia via Speak n Spell. Even as their material continued to evolve, the two musicians sensed that a key component was still absent. That changed in 2005 when drummer Brian Monte and lead guitarist Torin Gerhart entered the picture, at last rounding out the lineup. The quartet headed into the studio to lay down its debut full-length, self-producing Cabin Fever across six weeks before releasing the album independently in 2006. The group kept up a steady run of shows throughout the United States and abroad, sharing stages over the years with Beck, Maxïmo Park, the Bravery, John Cale, and We Are Scientists.
