The band formed around OMA vets Jack Dalrymple (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Pollack (guitar); Western Addiction bassist Chicken (who also worked at Fat Wreck Chords) soon joined on and split vocals with Dalrymple. Boasting a working-class sound similar to OMA that blended late-'70s punk with the sonic grit of a band like Dillinger Four, they eventually recruited Chicken's cousin Ian Anderson for drumming duties, and Dead to Me was complete. Considering its members' musical histories, the band unsurprisingly amassed a notable local following, hooking up for random gigs with bands like the Swingin' Utters, the Briefs, NOFX, and the Adolescents. The guys signed to Fat Wreck in early 2006 and subsequently entered the studio with producer Alex Newport (At the Drive-In, the Locust). Their resulting debut, Cuban Ballerina, appeared that July, boasting socially conscious lyrics that also largely dealt with themes of addiction and recovery (Chicken had recently completed rehab and penned much of the material.) ~ Corey Apar