Long before the mid-'80s blossoming of goth, the early punk years introduced the eerie allure of Siouxsie and the Banshees, soon followed by the Damned's reunion that centered on Dave Vanian's comic-book takes on Dracula and similar horror motifs. By the middle of the decade, as goth culture expanded across styles, Los Angeles fostered a sharp, punk-infused death-rock movement pioneered by .45 Grave and Christian Death, while London's Batcave scene thrived on the campy, glittery antics of Alien Sex Fiend. Goth-punk then faded for years until My Chemical Romance and the Dresden Dolls arrived, their fusion of goth's theatrical romance with emo's introspective bent creating an opening that I Am Ghost readily filled.
The band formed in Long Beach, CA, during 2004, drawing visual inspiration from the velvet, lace, and heavy eyeliner aesthetic of goth while musically exploring the progressive edges of post-hardcore and emo. Centered initially on singer Steven Juliano and violinist-singer Kerith Marcantonio, the group expanded with guitarists Gabriel Iraheta and Timoteo Rosales, bassist-keyboardist Brian Thomas, and drummer Ryan Seaman, forging a sound that merged punk aggression with dreamy atmospheres. Marcantonio and Thomas later married, becoming Kerith and Brian Telestai. Their self-produced demo We Are Always Searching circulated at live shows and reached record labels, leading Epitaph to sign the band in 2005 and release a remastered version in fresh artwork. That same summer brought an appearance on the Vans Warped Tour. Epitaph issued the follow-up Lovers' Requiem in fall 2006, which the group characterized as a rock opera, and followed it in 2008 with the comparatively mainstream Those We Leave Behind.
