Lead singer Leeland Mooring wrote his first song, "Shine," at the age of 11. After giving a successful performance of the song at a church in Illinois, the Mooring family began touring the United States. When he was 14, Mooring entered into Embassy Music's Ultimate Talent Search contest in Nashville, Tennessee, becoming a finalist in the songwriting and artist divisions. Although he did not win the competition, one of the contest's judges, Kent Coley, took interest in the young teen. A year later, Eddie DeGarmo, president of EMI CMG Publishing, also expressed interest in Mooring, and the two signed a songwriting contract on EMI/Capitol Music Group. Less than a year later, Leeland Mooring, his older brother Jack Mooring, their cousin Jake Holtz, and friends Jeremiah Wood and Mike Smith, whom the Moorings had known for several years, officially signed as a band onto Essential Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's Provident Label Group. The five members began practicing at night after youth group in their church's building, which doubled as a funeral home. Leeland Mooring's first name was used as the band's name because the members said that "it sounded cool".