Econoline Crush was formed in 1992 when singer Trevor Hurst moved to Vancouver from Seattle after he answered an ad seeking a vocalist in the local Seattle newspaper, "The Rocket", placed by Chris Meyers. Tom Ferris (previously known for the band Moev) and Meyers had been advertising and searching for a vocalist before Hurst contacted Meyers from Seattle. The trio began writing demos alongside guitarist Robbie Morfitt and bassist Dan Yarmeko. The band released a demo EP in 1993. Shortly after, drummer Gregg Leask joined the band to bring live drums into the fold and guitarist Hack had joined as well. At the end of the year, Ferris (who had songwriting credits on the next two releases) and Meyers had left the band, and Econoline Crush signed a record deal with EMI Music Canada, after playing only 26 shows total.