While in Seattle, Smith and Thorn began a new project that was put on hold after Thorn moved to Los Angeles in early 1998. Smith began working on a solo album, while Thorn produced Amy Correia's album Carnival Love, recorded with Live, on their album The Distance to Here, and searched for a singer for their project. After listening to several singers, Thorn met vocalist Chris Shinn, during his time as touring guitarist with Live, after hearing an album by his previous band Celia Green. Shinn soon relocated to Seattle, due to his own house in North Carolina being burnt down, staying at Thorn's house while the guitarist was on tour with Live. Thorn and Shinn then regrouped with Smith and began recording material. It was during recording that Smith invited friend, and former Pearl Jam drummer, Dave Krusen to record with them, with Krusen eventually joining the lineup permanently, forming Luma in mid-1998. The following year, they released a four-song self-titled EP through their website, and toured the Pacific Northwest from July 29–August 18, the same year. By the end of the year, Luma changed their name to Unified Theory, named after Albert Einstein's final hypothesis unified field theory.
