In 2014, the band had released one album and several extended plays, including &, which caught the ear of a listener in Canada.
[2] The song opens with a field recording of birds before segueing into a droning, despondent guitar riff.
In a Reddit r/IAmA, Hall mentions his satisfaction with the original recording, which was made in his bedroom,[2] noting that while other songs in their catalogue have been re-interpreted over time, "Need 2" gets it right.
At the time, Hall aimed to be conversational in his lyricism, more direct and to-the-point than concerned with interlocking themes, as in his past work.
"[5] "Need 2" was later included as a part of the band's early-career compilation, Everything So Far, first self-released on CD-R and cassette in 2014 and later widely released through Run for Cover in 2015.