With its origin as a home recording project between college classmates Jen Appel and Marc Goodman in 2002, Originally named Illumina, Illuminea grew to become a seven-person band as friends and lovers joined them. Illuminea’s debut album Nightlight was self-released in 2004. The band's second album, Out of Our Mouths, produced by Joel Hamilton, was released by High Two in August 2007. Having focused on playing shows in Philadelphia and New York City, the band has opened for Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Sam Prekop, The Like, I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness, The Radar Brothers, and The Spinto Band.