Peter Breinholt began showcasing his original songs at informal gatherings and at local restaurants while he was a student at the University of Utah. A homemade tape of his music began circulating on campus, which led to an official recording done at a Salt Lake City recording studio in June 1993. That recording, called "Songs About the Great Divide", became the best-selling, independently released CD ever in the state of Utah, almost entirely by word-of-mouth. It was described by Salt Lake Magazine as "an underground classic on college campuses". Breinholt's concerts began selling out local theaters and concert halls, including Kingsbury Hall, Capitol Theatre, Tuacahn, the de Jong Concert Hall, Ellen Eccles Theatre, Sundance Resort Amphitheater, Sandy Amphitheater and the Thanksgiving Point Waterfall Amphitheater.