Emerging in 2004 with a woodsy blend of midtempo rock and reverb-laden vocals, Band of Horses quickly gained an audience in their native Northwest before Everything All the Time made them indie rock darlings. Multi-instrumentalists Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke founded the group after an eight-year run with Carissa's Wierd, and an early performance alongside future labelmates Iron & Wine caught the attention of Sub Pop Records. The Seattle-based label signed the group in 2005 and reissued their self-released EP later that year, while Band of Horses retreated to the studio to record their full-length debut.