Rocket from the Crypt horn players Jason Crane and Paul O'Beirne were also involved in the project, though the vast majority of the recording was conducted by Reis.
While his previous groups had explored genres such as rock and roll, post punk, and post-hardcore in an aggressive fashion, Back Off Cupids was slower, mostly instrumental, and to a certain degree free-form.
It most closely resembles Drive Like Jehu in its complexity and intricate song structures, but lacks the aggression and raspy vocals of that group.
Reis left the material shelved for the most part, occasionally mixing and tweaking the arrangements in between touring and recording with Rocket from the Crypt.
In 1999, during a period in which Rocket from the Crypt were not as active, Reis completed mixing the material and released it as an album through Drunken Fish Records under the title Back Off Cupids.