The band formed in 2014, after members of former band Grand Rapids disbanded the year prior. Lardner and Niemetz recorded some early demos in San Francisco through connections in their friend network, which received attention from Dirty Hit after Lardner's roommate sent the demos to a contact at the record label, who immediately contacted the band expressing interest. The band went on to sign to the label as their first US-based band, having formerly been known for a repertoire of notable British acts including The 1975, Wolf Alice, and Pale Waves. Lardner and Niemetz recorded early singles with Bernard Butler, including Rodeo released in October 2016 and Dress/Undress released in February 2017.
