Satirically pretending to be a hair metal band that missed its big break in the '80s, singer Ralph Saenz ("Michael Starr"), drummer Darren Leader ("Stix Zadinia"), bassist Travis Haley ("Lexxi Foxxx"), and guitarist Russ Parrish ("Satchel") hit the club circuit on the Sunset Strip around the turn of the millennium under the name Metal Shop (later changed to Metal Skool, and then Steel Panther). With big spiky wigs, leather jackets, zebra-striped spandex, chops earned from playing in a Van Halen tribute band, and lots and lots of machismo, their comic take on sex, drugs, and rock & roll to the extreme caught on quickly, leading to sold-out shows and some unexpected brushes with mainstream success. As their popularity increased, the Hollywood crowd started frequenting their sets, often making appearances on-stage. This led to some opportunities: the band fittingly played the role of a metal band as "Danger Kitty" in a Discover Card commercial; they appeared on The Drew Carey Show as themselves; and their song "FF" was used as the theme for MTV's Fantasy Factory. In May of 2008 the band signed to Universal Republic. After releasing the singles "Death for All But Metal" and "Community Property," Steel Panther's full-length Feel the Steel was released in October of 2009.

In a city (Los Angeles) where saying, “I’m in a band,” is heard as often as, “I’m an actor,” the 4 members of Paperback Hero knew that to stand out and become popular in the most jaded of all cities, it would be a long, hard road – but that they would arrive, as long as they stayed dedicated to the craft of rock and roll. Paperback Hero from it’s inception have embraced a “Do-It-Yourself “ method of booking their own gigs, creating their own tours, licensing their songs for film and TV, building and maintaining fan support through web presence, live appearances, and networking with radio personalities wherever they toured. Patience, persistence and being relentlessly positive have sustained the band through the rough and tumble world of “DIY” rock n’ roll. Through all the trials and tribulations of being fiercely dedicated to their vision of finding a place on the national and world stage - Paperback Hero are united by their passion for performing.