We’re really feeling the pressure of, ‘OK, how do we take what people know and love about us from the first album, but really give it where we’re at today and kind of take it to the next level, for who we are as people, and who we are as musicians right now'In March 2014, American Authors released their debut studio album, Oh, What a Life, after many years releasing extended plays under the moniker The Blue Pages.

[3] American Authors enjoyed considerable success with the album, gaining significant exposure, especially through adult contemporary radio.

[4] Their success is largely due to the commercial boom of their hit single, "Best Day of My Life",[3][5] which by April 2015 had been certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, marking sales exceeding three million.

Lead singer Zac Barnett stated that "we tried to take a lot of the stuff that our fans like and love about us from Oh, What a Life and take that to the next level as far as sounds go.

[15] What We Live For was officially unveiled by the band and Island Records on March 2, 2016, with pre-orders for both a digital download and compact disc version of the album being made available the same day.