Left Alone

Emerging from Wilmington, California, the punk outfit Left Alone took shape under Elvis Cortez, who handled guitar and vocals. The group launched its career by playing an initial keg party in 1996. Cortez fused his passions for punk, ska, the Clash, Rancid, and Elvis Costello, remaining devoted to a D.I.Y. ethos that prompted him to launch the Smelvis label for the band’s output. A series of EPs and singles appeared over time, gradually building an audience even as frequent personnel shifts hindered progress. Momentum shifted in 2003 when Smelvis gathered the group’s scarce early tracks onto the compilation Left Alone: 1996-2000, while Cortez worked as a roadie on the Vans Warped Tour and distributed Left Alone CDs from his backpack to anyone interested. The following year the band earned an invitation to perform on the tour as “the BBQ Band,” trading a set for the privilege of preparing meals for fellow acts. They repeated the arrangement in 2005 and crossed paths with Tim Armstrong of Rancid, who signed Left Alone to his Hellcat imprint and released the album Lonely Starts & Broken Hearts that year. The stabilized lineup featured Rick Cruz on bass, Ramrod Briseno on drums, and longtime supporter Noe Guzman on sax. This configuration recorded the 2006 album Dead American Radio, which included guest contributions from Tim Armstrong and Patricia Day of the Danish psychobilly sextet HorrorPops.