The Seattle-based pop/rock act Forgive Durden were formed in 2003 by leader vocalist/guitarist Thomas Dutton. Wishing to become more serious with his songwriting, Dutton soon found kindred musical spirits in schoolmate/bassist Jesse Bauer and drummer Andy Mannino. The trio debuted in September 2004 with an independently released seven-song EP, When You're Alone, You're Not Alone. After the addition of second guitarist Thomas Hunter to the lineup, the quartet hopped on the road in support of the record. Forgive Durden ultimately caught the eye of Fueled by Ramen, inking a deal with the label by the end of 2005. Recording once again with producer Casey Bates, the band's conceptual label debut, Wonderland, surfaced the following May. The album was a social commentary on the world of capitalism, greed, and corruption metaphorically built around the fictitious Wonderland. Various tour dates with the likes of Panic! at the Disco, the Matches, and Gatsbys American Dream followed, and Forgive Durden joined the Warped Tour that same summer. Dutton's bandmates eventually quit the band, leaving him as the sole member. Retaining the Forgive Durden moniker, Dutton enlisted help from his brother and set to work on a musical, taking influence from films like Moulin Rouge and The Newsies. The result was Razia's Shadow: A Musical, a 2008 release that featured cameos by Max Bemis (Say Anything), Greta Salpeter (the Hush Sound), Aaron Weiss (mewithoutYou), and Chris Conley (Saves the Day).