Noted for having musical similarities to Death Cab for Cutie, Mew, Copeland, and Mae, Deas Vail was formed in the university town of Russellville, Arkansas in 2003.
Later that year, Deas Vail signed to Brave New World Records (founded by producer Mark Lee Townsend).
In late 2006, the band entered the studio again with Mark Lee Townsend to finish their first indie label LP, All the Houses Look the Same.
Their album Birds and Cages was released on October 27, 2009 through the revived label Mono vs Stereo, available through the band's website, via iTunes, and on tour.
In late 2010, two-fifths of Deas Vail, Wes Blaylock and Andy Moore, performed as an acoustic duo to open a set of Christmas-themed shows with Sherwood and Relient K. In the music video for "Excuses", all band members were seen wearing an armband with a key attached to it on their left forearm.
[4] On October 10, 2011, they released their album Deas Vail a day earlier than planned on Amazon at a discounted price.