by Jason AnkenyThe alternative pop quartet Harvey Danger was formed in Seattle in 1994 by University of Washington students Sean Nelson (vocals), Jeff Lin (guitar), Aaron Huffman (bass), and Evan Sult (drums). Initially setting out merely to play cover versions of their favorite songs at area parties, in time the group developed a rabid cult following, and in 1996 they teamed with renowned local producer John Goodmanson to record the tracks which were ultimately shaped into their 1997 debut LP Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? Originally issued on the indie label Arena Rock, the album was soon picked up by Slash Records after the infectious single "Flagpole Sitta" became a local hit; the track became a national smash during the summer of 1998. Two years later, the follow-up King James Version arrived. It too was full of intelligent, cynical, tightly-wound alt rock. But King James got very little support from the label and Harvey Danger disappeared, at least nationally. They retreated to Seattle, played in various projects around town, and enjoyed HD's promising cult status. By 2004 the band was writing new material, and in 2005 it started to appear. Kill Rock Stars issued the Cream & Bastards Rise EP, and Little by Little, Harvey Danger's third full-length album, appeared through their own Phonographic imprint. While Phonographic distributed Little by Little to independant record stores, the album was also available as a download from Harvey Danger's Web site.