Alex Toth (trumpet, band leader) and Kalmia Traver (vocals, saxophone) first met at the University of Vermont where they were both enrolled as music majors.

The band began performing primarily in the Northeast, in major cities and college towns, earning a reputation for their raucous energy.

In June 2007, the pair met percussionist Craig Myers; the improvised music they made at a party was arranged and elaborated on to become the first contribution to the band's repertoire.

[7] The band also performed at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival for the 1st time where they “revved up like an indie-rock Miami Sound Machine” (Rolling Stone),[8] including multiple sets throughout the weekend In 2013, Rubblebucket collaborated with Questlove, Tune-Yards singer Merrill Garbus, Angelique Kidjo and poet Akua Naru to create a new compilation album for Fela Kuti's Lady.

Customary to most Arcade Fire shows of the time, "The Reflektors" wore massive papier-mâché heads as a fake-out to fans.

Also in 2015, Rubblebucket performed at the BAM Opera House Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell in New York City along with other acts including Cults, Dev Hynes, and Arcade Fire.

On October 8, 2016, Rubblebucket supported Brooklyn multi-genre band Lake Street Dive for a series of tour dates across the US, including a performance at Radio City Music Hall.

[11] After Toth and Traver ventured with their own solo music projects (Tōth and Kalbells respectively), they returned as Rubblebucket with a new single, "Morning in the Sun", released June 23, 2022.