The two had played in several bands together since childhood, but had a falling out that left them estranged for several years, by their own admission as they "grew tired of each other" after constantly working and living together for nearly two decades.

In what would be their final meeting in several years, the brothers angrily chased each other around in a crowded restaurant, one of them allegedly brandishing a steak knife, an incident they have since humorously referred to as "typical sibling rivalry".

After spending their formative years touring smaller venues whilst writing and creating music, the band entered Caliban Studios in Oslo to record their eponymous debut album in early 2007.

The band resumed touring, whilst also taking the time to work on other projects, most notably as backing artists for Egil Hegerberg both in studio and in concert.

To avoid distractions and interruptions, the band had rented an old, abandoned school building, where they stayed during the entire three-week period with only a handful of people knowing and having access.

In January 2014, it was announced that El Cuero had been selected by NRK as one of the entries for the third semi-final of the 2014 Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian qualifier for the Eurovision Song Contest.

[17] Following the release, the band embarked on a supporting tour of the album, with guitarist Øyvind Blomstrøm taking a leave of absence, being temporarily replaced by Vegard Strand Holthe.

[20] A few weeks later, the band announced the long-awaited re-release of their debut album on October 13, 2017, featuring remastered sound and unreleased bonus tracks.