The Cherry Poppin' Daddies were formed in 1989 by singer Steve Perry and bassist Dan Schmid following the disbandment of their garage rock group Saint Huck, releasing their debut album Ferociously Stoned in 1990 on independent label Sub Par Records.

In 1997, the Daddies signed with Universal Music Group subsidiary Mojo Records to release Zoot Suit Riot, a compilation of their swing material.

Arriving at the onset of the late 1990s swing revival, Zoot Suit Riot became the band's most commercially successful release to date, selling over two million copies in the United States while its eponymous single became a radio hit.

Following the commercial failure of their 2000 follow-up Soul Caddy, the Daddies were eventually dropped from Mojo and entered a hiatus, resurfacing in 2008 to independently record and release their fifth studio album, Susquehanna.

In 2009, the band briefly joined indie label Rock Ridge Music to release the ska compilation Skaboy JFK and a re-release of Susquehanna.