Formed in Phoenix during the early 2000s, the six-piece outfit Scary Kids Scaring Kids took its moniker from a Cap'n Jazz track and specialized in emotionally charged post-hardcore that alternated between frenzied, high-pitched outbursts and gentler, tuneful passages. The group earned a reputation for volatile, high-energy performances, and its initial lineup featured Tyson Stevens handling vocals and bass alongside guitarists DJ Wilson and Chad Crawford plus drummer Peter Costa. After Steve Kirby joined on guitar and Pouyan Afkary came aboard on keyboards, Wilson shifted to bass. Still in their final year of high school, the musicians tracked their first EP, After Dark, alongside producer Bob Hoag of Recover and the Format, then issued it independently in June 2003. Growing interest soon secured them a contract with Immortal Records, which re-released After Dark the following year. Working with Brian McTernan of Snapcase and Thrice, the band spent five weeks capturing its full-length debut, The City Sleeps in Flames, issued in June 2005. Justin Salter formally assumed drumming responsibilities in spring 2006, stepping in for Costa. That summer the group appeared on the Warped Tour and played additional shows supporting Haste the Day. In 2007 the musicians entered the studio with Don Gilmore, known for his work with Dashboard Confessional and Good Charlotte, to record a follow-up. The resulting self-titled second album arrived in August, reflecting a tighter artistic vision that ultimately drew them into the major-label sphere. After inking a deal with RCA in 2008, the band toured and informed fans that work on a third album would commence later that year. Internal tensions surfaced in 2009, however, prompting Stevens to depart before the Warped Tour concluded and requiring temporary vocalists for remaining dates. Several months afterward the group announced its dissolution, leaving the planned third album incomplete. In October 2014, original frontman Tyson Stevens was discovered deceased from an apparent drug overdose.
