[12] After a matter of weeks, "You Will Leave a Mark" reached the top of the Portuguese download singles charts, followed by the album soon after.

[12] The band have played and toured with OneRepublic, Scouting for Girls, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Temper Trap, Sleigh Bells, Biffy Clyro, Fitz and the Tantrums, Civil Twilight, Athlete[14] and Blue October.

[26] Following Sand & Snow's release, the band announced their appearance at Firefly Music Festival in Delaware alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foster The People, Vampire Weekend, and many more.

The EP was self-produced, in collaboration with Matt Wilcox, and was mixed by The City that Sleeps producer Sam Williams.

Recorded in a rustic studio on a pecan farm just outside El Paso, Texas, New Year expands on the cinematic alternative rock of 2012's Sand & Snow and 2010's The City that Sleeps.

[27] After the EP's release, the band started their Secret Rooms tour, giving 12 intimate performances in non-traditional venues throughout the U.S., revealed to ticket buyers just days before each show.

The entire tour was documented by noted videographer Luca Venter and videos of the performances were posted for those who couldn't attend.

Produced by the band's Robert Stevenson and Spencer Walker, with assistance from Matthew Wilcox (Foster the People, Bethel Music), the 11-track album was recorded in A Silent Film's hometown of Oxford, UK over a five-week period.

In 2018, with over 20 million streams of their songs, Stevenson and Walker decided to take an indefinite break from the band to pursue other creative and personal priorities.