Work on "Ft. Lake" ("Fort Lake") began shortly after completion of the Nice Day EP, with the same newly stable lineup of leader Warren Defever on guitar, Chad Gilchrist on bass, Trey Many on drums, and vocalists Karin Oliver and Lovetta Pippen. Defever stated in an interview around the time of the album's release that he was trying to have less control, and focus more on being the main songwriter and guitarist. He even went so far as to work with an outside producer for the first time, recruiting Steve King, who had previously produced Aretha Franklin and George Clinton.