Florida's Gouge Away play a heavy strain of hardcore punk that echoes '90s forebears like the Jesus Lizard and Babes in Toyland and features socially conscious and often emotionally direct lyrics. The band rose out Fort Lauderdale's underground scene in 2016 with , Dies, then found more widespread recognition with their Deathwish-released follow-up, Burnt Sugar, in 2018. Over subsequent years, the group toured frequently, demoing new songs in their downtime and eventually unveiling the 2023 single "Idealized."