Lead singer and guitarist Mikey Heppner had formed the punk rock group the Dropouts in the early 2000s merely as a way of having fun performing at shows, but after all his bandmates left for New York City to perform as the successful rock band the Stills full-time, he had an epiphany that he could take his own music more seriously, achieve that kind of success, and still have as much fun as he hoped. This, coupled with his first exposure to Tricky Woo (which he enjoyed for their resemblance to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple), led him to re-establish the Dropouts with a different musical style - hard rock - and a more earnest pursuit of success.