A compilation of home-recorded demos from 1996-1999, the CD was self-released and sold at local shows, and then packaged to showcase to record labels.

Origin contains demos written and recorded by co-founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody for their earlier independent EPs in the 1990s, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", and "My Immortal", which appear on their debut album Fallen (2003).

After driving to Memphis, Tennessee to get it mastered at Ardent Studios,[7][8][3] they packaged the CD, wanting to shop it to record labels.

[9] A total of 2000 copies were made,[9][11] and sold on November 4, 2000 by the Bigwig Enterprises website,[12] which marketed it as Evanescence's "debut CD".

[13][note 1] According to the Bigwig website, "Whisper" was the lead single from Origin, receiving airplay on local radio in Little Rock.

[12] Bigwig stated that the CD was out of print by early February 2003,[14][15] before Evanescence's debut single "Bring Me to Life" was released on the Daredevil soundtrack album.

[16][note 1] In 2003, Lee and Moody encouraged fans who were interested in their demos to download it rather than purchase it for such high prices online.

[17][18] Origin contains tracks from Lee and Moody's earlier EPs, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", "My Immortal", and "Where Will You Go", the first three later appearing on Fallen (2003).

We made it into an album to make it more appealing to the record companies, but it was never an official release ... We also did a lot of songs and demos after that.

said that "there's limited reason for anyone other than die-hards to seek it out", deeming "Lies" the stand out track for Lee's "towering classical soprano delivery – the peak nu-metal synth/guitar interplay and additional death growls courtesy of Living Sacrifice vocalist Bruce Fitzhugh".

[11] All tracks are written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges, except where noted.Credits adapted from the liner notes of Origin.