Since departing seminal alt-country collective The Guthries in 2002, Matt Mays has alternated between solo projects (his self-titled debut, the film soundtrack ...When the Angels Make Contact) and band projects (the eponymous Matt Mays & El Torpedo record and 2008’s Terminal Romance). Following the dissolution of Matt Mays & El Torpedo in 2009, Mays released Coyote in 2012 to much acclaim, including a JUNO Award win for Rock Album of the Year.

In 2017 Mays released Once Upon a Hell of a Time… to be followed a year later by the album’s ‘woody’ companion Twice Upon a Hell of a Time…. As the pandemic shut down touring in early 2020, Mays set up a studio in his garage and produced Dog City, an inspiring album written from the perspective of a rescue dog. In early 2021, From Burnside With Love, a live album showcasing unplugged versions of his most popular songs, was released along with a concert film of the same name.