[2] Merchant Ships was formed in 2008 by singer Jack Senff and drummer Dwayne Robinson after both being inspired by local bands performances.
In the summer of the same year, Senff and Stutsman formed Midwest Pen Pals alongside Garrett Cabello and Mike Kenway and self-released their only official EP Inside Jokes.
[4] In 2010, Merchant Ships reunited and released their single "Better Days Ahead" featuring "Sentinel" and "Good Weekend".
They later signed with Count Your Lucky Stars Records and released their second EP (first on the label) titled For Cameron in July 2010.
[5][6] In July 2010, Merchant Ships broke up for good, releasing their full discography for free via their Myspace page along with a compilation entitled "Shipsography".