An emo-influenced pop-punk band from New Jersey, Tokyo Rose was formed in 2001, while singer and guitarist Ryan Dominguez and bassist Chris Poulsen were both students at Rutgers University. Though both were playing with other bands, the two shared similar musical interests and decided to launch a band of their own. Tokyo Rose played local shows when the members' busy schedules permitted and they booked tours to coincide with vacations and between-term breaks. Tokyo Rose also recorded a self-released EP, Chasing Fireflies, which became the band's calling card after Dominguez and Poulsen graduated and made the band a full-time priority.

In 2003, during a tour of California, the band signed a deal with the independent label Sidecho Records, who released the group's first full-length album, Reinventing a Lost Art, in July 2003. Extensive touring followed, including playing the 2003 CMJ Festival, the 2004 South by Southwest Music Conference, and the 2004 Warped Tour. In 2005, after returning home from a tour of Japan, Tokyo Rose began work on their second album, New American Saint, which was released in October 2005. Their second album featured Fred Mascherino of Taking Back Sunday on the track "A Reason to Come Home Again" and was released on October 4, 2005 and landed them tours with Bayside, Taking Back Sunday, as well as performing on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour.