Los Angeles' Dirty Little Secret officially formed in summer 2002, though vocalist/guitarist Louis Castle and bassist James Bairian had been best friends and songwriting partners since their days in high school. Grabbing influences from a wide range of bands including the Pixies, the Dead Boys, the Psychedelic Furs, and Guns N' Roses for their dark-edged, passion-fueled rock, the guys recorded the five-song EP Long Gone in 2004, which was released in Australia on Speak n Spell in mid-2005. While the duo's music matured stylistically over time, the guys always felt something was missing. It wasn't until they hooked up with drummer Brian Monte and lead guitarist Torin Gerhart in 2005 that Dirty Little Secret finally felt complete. The quartet entered the studio together to record its first full-length offering. The resulting self-produced album, Cabin Fever, was completed over the span of six weeks and independently issued in 2006. The band continued touring nationwide and overseas, sharing gigs over the years with artists like Beck, Maxïmo Park, the Bravery, John Cale, and We Are Scientists.