Chris Porterfield, the leader of Field Report, originally played with Justin Vernon (now the creative force behind Bon Iver) in the Vernon-led band DeYarmond Edison.

According to Billboard Magazine, "Counting Crows, Emmylou Harris, and Aimee Mann each invited Field Report to open shows for them.

"[1] Prior to the release of the band's second album, following a Daytrotter solo session with Porterfield, Sean Moeller wrote, "Marigolden is a triumph of a record, a true beauty that makes you believe in the regenerative spirit of all human beings.

"[6] Paste Magazine's Eric Swedlund described the lyrics from Field Reports self-titled album as "imaginative, detailed and highly literate, creating character-driven songs, sketches that reinforce their narratives with imagery that coalesces into a remarkable sense of place.

[9] Field Report's sound centers around the narrative songs that bring to mind the writing on albums like Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.