This record has been a long time coming. The years leading up to this release were some of the most trying and stressful for us as a band. We were young; touring and playing shows with no record. Just trying to become the best we could be at playing live, because that's always been what's important to us. There were times when it seemed like the whole world was against us. Be it our families losing confidence in our ambitions, us being constantly in financial distress, or going through the emotional strains those situations cause, we definitely had thoughts that maybe it would be better for everyone if we just gave it up.

It took us a year after the songs were written to work out tracking the record. It was only the extreme generosity of a good friend of ours, Timmy Kosel, that led to us actually tracking. Timmy has been a long time mentor of this band and we can truly tell he wants us to succeed. He's always had our best interests in mind. And we will always be thankful to him for what he's done for us.

After the album was recorded we headed back home to St. Louis, but our next obstacle was mixing & mastering the unpolished tracks. At the time some of us were living paycheck to paycheck, and some of us with no income at all. We needed a miracle to finish this thing. The weeks started to pass and we had no idea what to do. We were rehearsing, playing shows, doing all the things we knew how to do. But all along in the back of our minds this half-finished debut album was burning a hole in our brains, as well as our lives. We were adrift. No options, and no money.

A few of our big-hearted friends with any shred of mixing experience saw our condition. They sympathized with us. And more than a few offered their help. But it was a combination of difficult scheduling, lack of equipment, and lack of know-how on so many complex mixes that made us once again have to take two steps back. Just when we thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

That was one of the longest years of our lives. And definitely one of the lowest ones in this bands career. We were playing shows as frequently as we could, anywhere we could - to keep our minds off of it. On the outside we seemed fine, but when so much is riding on something like that, its when we stepped off stage and had to try to sleep that the frustrations would get the best of us. Those were long nights. Many of us definitely did, and said things we probably shouldn't have. But we all felt the same anxiety. And we knew we all dealt with it differently. We got through, one way or another.

Luckily in late 2015, through a connection on the very fringe of our combined circles, someone heard about the struggle we had been going through trying to get this record finished. And he offered his services to us. And he was willing to work with our financial situation because, just as Timmy did, after hearing our music and learning why we do this, he believed in us.

Even while writing this it's still hard to believe that someone would put in the amount of work we did just because they believed in our music. We had never met before we talked about working on the album. But Michael Fikes is the kind of guy who is all about his faith, some of which he had for us. And we're so thankful for that. His show of generosity and willingness to work with us invigorated us with a kind of purpose we hadn't felt for awhile. Something that made us really believe we could make a positive difference with what we were doing. It was an incredible high. And even more so coming off a year of tripping and falling every time we thought we could run.

So we worked. Hard. More than 400 hours. Every night after work, or after rehearsal for two months. The man gave us his all. Even though he hadn't worked with music like this before. Even though maybe he wasn't equipped with all the industry standard stuff for music like ours. He gave us his all. Unconditionally.

In the end it happened. The day the first box of discs arrived at our door, the feeling was overwhelming. It nearly brought us to tears after all the struggle. But as we opened that box and held those discs in our hands for the very first time we thought back on the past two years. Everything that had conspired, and to think - we were still just kids with empty pockets and a hope to make a change with our music. So as those stars faded from our eyes it dawned on us just how thankful we are for everyone who helped us get this box to this door. And also how thankful we are for each other, for sticking together through all the struggle. I don't know if any one of us could have made it on our own.

But we did. Together. And in June of 2016 we debuted a record we were all so proud of. Proud of every second of work, every moment of doubt, every sleepless night, drop of blood, and tear. Every time one of us chose not to eat one night so we'd have enough gas to get to rehearsal the next day.

It made us learn that it's these struggles that make everyone who they are. They make us who we are. They make this album what it is. Imperfect. A product of its history and its environment. Just like all of us.

We can’t pretend to be something we're not. And neither can this record. And while we no doubt believe the next one will be better and sound better. We also believe in making honest music because that's what we love. That’s what we did with this record. And that’s what we always intend to do.