Made up of three teenage friends, Lifeguard formed in Chicago in 2019 with Asher Case (vocals, bass), Kai Slater (guitar, vocals) and Isaac Lowenstein (drums). Cultivating a "DIY" (Do It Yourself) ethos, the trio creates its live reputation through raw energy ahead of post-hardcore, noise rock and post-punk. After a self-released EP and album, respectively In Silence in 2020 and Dive in 2021, the band signed with Born Yesterday Records and continues to perform in unusual venues such as stores, schools and rehabilitated buildings. After the release of the Crowd Can Talk EP in 2022, Lifeguard turned to Matador Records for the follow-up Dressed in Trenches (2023), followed by the album Ripped and Torn (2025), produced by Randy Randall of No Age.