Folk-rock ensemble the Dreamscapes Project were formed in Reston, VA, after Keith Center and Jeremy Rodgers met at George Mason University in 1997. The duo was inspired by groups such as Dave Matthews Band, Days of the New, and Soul Coughing, and after Ed Bizzell (drums) and Donna Griffith (violin) joined up with Center and Rodgers, the band released its debut album, Focusing the Madness, in 1999. Following the departure of Bizzell and Griffith, the band recruited Dave Clark and experienced a slight shift in sound when its violin slot was replaced by cello, courtesy of Ben Guy.