[2] After fronting several rock bands in his native Idaho, singer/songwriter Justin Ringle moved to Portland, Oregon in 2004 and began focusing on acoustic music, playing open mics regularly under the moniker Horse Feathers.

In February 2006 the duo went into Skyler Norwood's Miracle Lake studios and recorded their debut album, Words Are Dead, which was released that September on Portland label, Lucky Madison.

Later that year, Peter's sister Heather Broderick joined the group on cello and by 2007, Horse Feathers began featuring a rotating cast of instrumentalists backing Ringle's guitar and vocals.

Ringle and the Brodericks returned to Miracle Lake studios in the fall and winter of 2007 and recorded House With No Home, which was released on Kill Rock Stars in the spring of 2008.

[3] On March 2, 2018, NPR debuted Horse Feathers' new single "Without Applause", taken from the band's upcoming sixth album, 'Appreciation', which was released on May 4, 2018 via Kill Rock Stars and featured the new rhythm section of J. Tom Hnatow and Robby Cosenza.