L7 formed in Los Angeles in 1985, initially as an all-female punk rock band. They released their debut album Smell the Magic in 1990 to critical acclaim, blending their punk background with metal and grunge influences. The single "Pretend We're Dead" became a hit on MTV, and saw the band tour internationally. L7's second album, Bricks Are Heavy, was released in 1992 and reached the UK top 40, giving them their only charting album in the US and UK. This album also gave them one of their most well-known hits, "Andres". Their follow-up Hungry for Stink became their first gold album in 1994, and further consolidated their success. After releasing their last album Slap-Happy in 1999, the band split up in 2001, but reunited in 2014. They continue to regularly tour to this day.