Matt Johnson is originally from Whitingham, Vermont, while Kim Schifino is originally from Providence, Rhode Island. They met while studying at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute. Schifino studied illustration and graduated in 2002, while Johnson studied film and graduated in 2004. The two began dating and moved in together after 3 months. After graduation, Johnson began learning to play keyboards and Schifino learned drums. Neither had extensive experience with their instruments prior to this. Despite their inexperience, they were urged to play live shows by fellow Pratt alumni from the band Japanther. Their early shows were primarily played at houses and lofts in the Brooklyn area, but they soon branched out and began touring across the nation. In 2005, they released an EP entitled, "To and From", which was their first collection of music committed to an album of any kind.