Yellowcard is a pop punk/alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, currently consisting of Ryan Key on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Mackin on violin and vocals, Ryan Mendez on lead guitar and vocals and Longineu W. Parsons III on drums and percussion.

Formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, the group released their debut album Midget Tossing with independent label DIY Records in April that year. They then signed to Takeover Records and released their second album Where We Stand in 1999 (later re-released in 2004 and 2005). This was followed by the group’s first EP Still Standing in 2000, then their third album One for the Kids the following year. It was their biggest hit to date, with the songs Cigarette and Drifting appearing on a number of television shows and computer games. This was then followed by their second EP release The Underdog EP.

However, it was their fourth studio album Ocean Avenue, recorded after signing to the major label Capitol Records, that would prove to be the group’s breakthrough mainstream success. It was their first album to chart inside the Billboard 200 and eventually climbed to a peak of number 25. The album would go on to sell over a million copies and produce the US Top 30 hit single Ocean Avenue.

The group’s next release Lights and Sounds showcased more of an alternative rock sound – a departure from their previous pop punk staple. It subsequently reached number five on the Billboard 200, selling over 80,000 copies in its first week of release, and spawned two singles: Lights and Sounds and Rough Landing, Holly. This was followed by 2007’s Paper Walls, which hit number thirteen in the US and produced the hit single Light Up the Sky… but this was to be the group’s last release for the foreseeable future as they announced an indefinite hiatus in April 2008.