Left Alone, a punk rock band from Wilmington, California, was formed in May 1996 by lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Cortez. The group initially gained traction with numerous demos, splits, and EPs before releasing their first full-length album, Streets of Wilmington, in 2002. After compiling earlier recordings on the anthology Left Alone: 1996–2000 (2003), Cortez's band was invited to be the Warped Tour BBQ band for the 2004 and 2005 tours. This exposure led to a signing with Hellcat Records, where they re-released Lonely Starts & Broken Hearts in 2005. The band continued with Dead American Radio (2006), featuring guest appearances from Tim Armstrong and Patricia Day of the Horrorpops, and their self-titled album Left Alone (2009). They toured extensively, including with the Vans Warped Tour in 2010. In 2011, Elvis Cortez became a touring member of Tim Armstrong's band Transplants.