[1] McMahan's previous band Slint hinted at the distinctive sound and sombre aesthetic he would create in The For Carnation.
Fight Songs and Marshmallows were compiled into one record, Promised Works, and released by Runt in 1997.
The band has included Doug McCombs and Johnny "Machine" Herndon of Tortoise, Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, Todd Cook (Shipping News) as well as Britt Walford and David Pajo of Slint.
[2] They returned in December 2009 to play a show at the "Ten Years of ATP" All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in England.
Another track called "The Bike" was included as a free download on White Power is For Dummies compilation album in December 2016.