The music for the album was written and recorded on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, in early 2014, with Hutchison working with Frightened Rabbit's Andy Monaghan and Simon Liddell.

A short instrumental track credited to Owl John, "Hailstones", was used as the soundtrack for the video piece London - Christmas Morning in December 2014; it was released as part of an album accompanying the Neu!Reekie!

The Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, fronted by Scott Hutchison, released their fourth studio album Pedestrian Verse on 4 February 2013, via Atlantic Records.

[6] To promote the album, the band embarked on an extensive 18-month tour, during which members of Frightened Rabbit suffered from burnout.

[7] Frightened Rabbit drummer Grant Hutchison told Jason Keil of the Phoenix New Times that the band "just got run absolutely ragged" by the Pedestrian Verse touring cycle, and that they "all lost each other and ourselves a little bit" in the process.