Loon Lake's early demos "Into the Office" and "Easy Chairs", recorded in Melbourne in 2011, were praised by the Australian blogosphere and by Triple J critics Richard Kings Mill and Zan Rowe for their "killer riffs, total heart, and down to earth stories.
[8] Loon Lake's first EP Not Just Friends was mixed by Robin Mae (Nick Cave, John Butler Trio) and released on 3 June 2011.
[12] Faster Louder's Natalie Silvo said of the EP, "the execution and the underlying promises of unabashed fun ensures that that Loon Lake will provide a solid soundtrack to warmer days and nights.
"[13] The EP was also considered to be the band's most diverse effort to date, with Loon Lake guitarist Dan Bull saying in an interview with X-Press Magazine, "These songs are a result of us maybe finding our sound, and experimenting with different arrangements and styles.
"[14] Loon Lake toured in support of this EP, playing many of Australia's marquee venues and even selling out the Corner Hotel two weeks beforehand.
Loon Lake also completed many national support tours with artists including Ball Park Music, Bluejuice, Kaiser Chiefs, Girls, and Cage the Elephant.