Gunnar Nelson described the collaborating process in an interview as "magical" and praised Tanner for being "very supportive of our own instincts and our melodic sense".

[6] After a year of meeting with Kalodner without being signed, Matthew and Gunnar met with him alone, against the wishes of their managers, and played an acoustic version of "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection".

Eventually, they worked with Tanner and co-producer David Thoener, who helped shape Nelson's influences into a modern, radio-friendly sound.

The Chicago Tribune noted that "the Nelsons are decent enough guitar players and singers, but have yet to put together a strong sound for their band, which relies heavily on '70s-style riffs that vaguely recall Boston and Foreigner".

[10] After finishing the touring cycle for After the Rain, the band found themselves in massive debt despite the album's success.

Nelson returned to the studio and recorded their second album, Imaginator, but it was rejected by their producer and the label for being too dark and heavy.

By this time fans had moved on, and the record failed to chart, bringing to Nelson's relationship with the label to an end.