Comprised of five singer/songwriters, the members of L.A.'s indie alt-country band Everest boast some impressive pedigrees, having played with groups like Earlimart, Sebadoh, the Folk Implosion, Slydell, Mike Stinson, Great Northern, Alaska!, John Vanderslice, and the Watson Twins. Sharing a mutual admiration for each other's respective track records, the five were drawn together by a common desire to make classic-sounding pop songs in the style of earthy bands like Wilco and Calexico. Russell Pollard, Jason Soda, Joel Graves, Rob Douglas, and Derek Brown first assembled in 2007, and connected quickly. Graves was especially excited about the instant chemistry, remarking in interviews, "I'm getting to play with my favorite singer, my favorite bass player, my favorite guitar player, and my favorite drummer. It's the band I've always wanted to be in."