It was released by Outfall Records, the independent label headed by frontman Matt Scannell.

In an interview with Billboard, Scannell describes The Lost Mile as "the most indulgent album I've ever made.

"[1] The album marks somewhat of a departure from the band's established sound, both in terms of its focus on keyboards and in relation to the length of the songs - of which only one runs for less than four minutes.

Scannell cited bands such as Depeche Mode, The Cure and New Order as influences, as well as the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men.

The album features a re-recording of "I'm Not Running," a song that was originally co-written and performed with American singer-songwriter Richard Marx.