One of a number of pop punk outfits to enjoy commercial success in the early years of the twenty-first century, the Ventura, California, USA-based Yellowcard was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997. The original line-up of the band featured Ben Dobson (vocals), Todd Clary (guitar/vocals), Ben Harper (guitar), Warren Cooke (bass) and Longineu Parsons (b. 16 February 1980, USA; drums), with Sean Wellman aka Sean Mackin (violin) helping out on an ad hoc basis. The unusual sight of a violin player in a punk band gave Yellowcard an extra edge, although early releases Midget Tossing and Where We Stand failed to establish them beyond a loyal local following. A number of personnel changes ensued, with original members Harper, Parsons, Cooke and Mackin joined by Ryan Key (b. William Ryan Key, 17 December 1979, Florida, USA; vocals/guitar). In 1999, the quintet relocated to the hotbed of pop punk, southern California, and released the four-song EP Still Standing. The album, One For The Kids, which followed in 2001, demonstrated a greater grasp of melody and helped bring the band to the attention of Capitol Records.
Cooke left prior to the recording of the band’s major label debut, Ocean Avenue, which was released in late 2003. The title track received strong coverage on MTV and helped propel the album into the mainstream charts. Stand-in bass player Peter Mosely (b. 6 June 1980, USA) was replaced by Alex Lewis but subsequently returned to the line-up in 2004. Ben Harper was replaced by Ryan Mendez prior to the release of the band’s fifth album, Lights And Sounds.
