The origins of Dead Tooth began in 2015 when frontman Zach James Ellis met guitarist Andrew Bailey of DIIV while they both worked at the same vegan diner in Brooklyn.

[1][3] The original lineup of Dead Tooth comprised Ellis (vocals), Bailey (guitar), Dylan DePice (drums), and Jason Smith (bass).

The violinist River Allen aka Ghost Piss joined shortly after and the group released its first EP Still Beats through Five Kill Records in September 2018.

[10][11] Dead Tooth returned to the South by Southwest music festival in 2024; Clash magazine listed their performance as one of the 15 best acts from that year, remarking that they "stood out from the chasing pack by a country mile with their prime rock posing, lethal riffs, and soaked-to-the-brink-with-perspiration sense of post-punk deviance.

"[12] The band later toured Europe in November–December 2024, playing concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy.