[3] Singer Brooks Nielsen and music director/guitarist Matt Taylor met in middle school in the beach town of Dana Point, California, bonding over surfing, skating, and partying.

[4] When offered the chance to perform at a house party, the duo quickly wrote their first six songs in a single day, leading to the first incarnation of the band that would eventually become The Growlers.

[15] Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of two to three months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA.

The event typically features performances by bands representing a variety of genres, including pop, rap, hip hop, heavy metal, and rock.

Over the years, the event has included costume contests, amusement park rides, and live performances of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The likes of Die Antwoord, Grimes, Gucci Mane, Julian Casablancas, Mac DeMarco, The Drums, Foxygen, White Arrows and Ghost B.C.

The festival's lineup included Bon Iver, TLC, James Blake, 2 Live Crew, Violent Femmes, Future Islands, Reel Big Fish, The Faint, the Pharcyde, Leftöver Crack, and DJ Quik.

[27] Due to an ongoing lawsuit with Noise Group (owners of The Observatory venue) over the Beach Goth trademark,[30] 2017's festival took on the name "The Growlers Six", which took place on October 28 & 29 at the LA Waterfront.

[31] The Growlers returned to their trademarked "Beach Goth" brand name for the 7th annual festival, taking place at the Los Angeles Historic State Park on August 5, 2018.

[32] In July 2020, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against the band, along with other artists associated with Burger Records and the Southern California surf and garage rock music scene.