In May 2000, Tenacious D signed to Epic Records. As Black's profile increased due to his roles in films such as "High Fidelity" the band worked on recording their first album with producers the Dust Brothers. In 2001, they released their debut "Tenacious D". It peaked at No. 33 on the "Billboard" 200 on October 13, 2001. While Tenacious D usually appears as a duo, the album was backed by a full band, consisting of Dave Grohl on drums and guitar, keyboardist Page McConnell of Phish, guitarist Warren Fitzgerald of The Vandals, and bassist Steven Shane McDonald of Redd Kross. According to Black, they chose to use a band because "no one's ever heard us with a band". The majority of songs on the album were performed previously on their short-lived television series.