The Inner Banks began in 2005 as a home-recording project by Brooklyn composer and multi-instrumentalist David Gould. Gould had since 2000 led and played banjo in The Bootleg Remedy, an acclaimed Americana band inspired by western swing, bluegrass and dixieland. Gould helped build a devoted following, due to the unpredictable nature of the live shows (which included performances at Joe’s Pub, the Bottom Line and a monthly residency at Fez) as well as praise from many New York publications (The New Yorker featured the band in one of its coveted illustrations). While the group was hailed for "breathing new life into songs written long before [Gould] was born and creating new compositions that sound similarly ancient" (All Music Guide), Gould ultimately felt drawn to incorporate new influences that didn't fit the Bootleg Remedy's mold.

Enter Caroline Schutz, the singer and songwriter behind Folksongs For The Afterlife, whose full-length, “Put Danger Back In Your Life” (Parasol/Hidden Agenda) and EP (Enraptured UK) had earned the group features in Magnet, Time Out New York and Entertainment Weekly, as well as a song on Arena Rock’s “This is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation.” Schutz and Gould knew each from playing together in Folksongs For The Afterlife (and a side ‘60s/surf band called Electrolyte), and the two married in 2004, paving the way for even further collaboration.

In a sense, The Inner Banks’ music combines the American roots instrumentation of the Bootleg Remedy with the more contemporary electronic sounds and otherworldly vocals found in Folksongs For The Afterlife. A chamber group of violins, cello, french horn and trumpet adds a level of orchestral sheen reminiscent of ‘60s-era soundtracks. The resulting sound has drawn comparisons to Calexico, Air, Flaming Lips, Zero 7 and Ennio Morricone.

In addition to Gould and Schutz, The Inner Banks' debut features many up-and-coming New York-area musicians: Greta Gertler (vocals), Amie Margoles (French horn), Colin Brigstocke (trumpet), Yusuke Yamamoto (vibraphone/Wurlitzer), Michael Block (cello), Sarah Crocker (violin), Noah Geller (violin), and Bootleg Remedy regulars Michael Gomez (lap steel), Dave Yantorno (guitar), Jim Mansfield (drums), and Doug Largent (upright bass). The CD was mixed at the Clubhouse (Rhinebeck, NY) and mastered at Airshow (Boulder, CO).