Following the success of Self's debut album Subliminal Plastic Motives (1995), lead member Matt Mahaffey and his brother Mike recruited keyboardist Chris James, drummer Jason Rawlings, and bassist Tim Nobles to sustain touring as a band.

During the same period, Mahaffey frequently received invitations to strip clubs from radio personalities and other music industry colleagues for his association with Subliminal Plastic Motives.

Mahaffey's strong disinterest in this lifestyle led him to drop his guitar usage, citing the stereotypes around rock bands like Eve 6 and Green Day as the reason.

[2] After touring with rock band Cracker for two months, Mahaffey returned home and found a message from a crazed fan in his answering machine.

[1] Following completion, The Half-Baked Serenade was released without any promotion in contrast to the high-budget marketing campaign by Zoo Entertainment for their previous album.