The band formed in 2002 in southern Illinois and have released six studio albums and six EPs while being signed to Epic Records and Razor & Tie.

Lead vocalist and keyboardist Daniel Layus and guitarist Josiah Rosen were studying contemporary Christian music at Greenville University when Augustana formed in Autumn 2002 in Illinois.

[3] Layus brought friends Kyle Baker, Simeon Lohrmann and David Lamoureaux together to write and create music.

[4] The album was released in the Spring of 2003 and only 1000 copies were produced, however, early buzz and reviews were primarily positive.

[5] Dan Layus decided to move back to Southern California with bandmate Josiah Rosen, where they eventually found their drummer, Justin South.

The band joined numerous tours with artists such as Switchfoot, Maroon 5, The Fray, Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, O.A.R., Snow Patrol, The Damnwells, Goo Goo Dolls, Acceptance, Cartel, and OneRepublic, as well as having their own headlining tours.

Their most recognizable song is "Boston" which made it all the way to 34 on the Billboard top 100, as well as appearing on television shows Scrubs, Smallville, Hidden Palms, and One Tree Hill.

[12] Augustana parted ways with Epic Records shortly after the album's release and on November 11, 2011, Dan Layus announced that all remaining members had amicably parted ways, but that he would continue to tour and perform under the name Augustana.

[14] On September 2, 2015, Augustana released three new tracks ("Climb", "Must Be Love" and "You Can Have Mine") on an EP titled "Side A".

[15] On August 28, 2019, the song "For Now, Forever" was released as a digital single, with "The Heart of It" as its B-side, under the Augustana name.

[16] Augustana then embarked on a US tour in October 2019 into November 2019, with Zac Clark of Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness as a supporting act.

Closing out the year, Augustana debuted a cover of "Make Someone Happy" from the musical Do Re Mi, on December 20, 2020.

[18] The Live (Recorded from a Livestream Event) album was released on streaming platforms on March 19, 2021, with songs from a virtual concert that was held on December 3, 2020.

[22] Yourself Yesterday: A Rarities Collection, an album of rare and previously unreleased tracks, was digitally released on August 19, 2022.