After an early stint drumming and singing in Haybaby (Tiny Engines), Zach James began writing and self-producing folk records in his bedroom, donning the name The Silver Spaceman. The project evolved into a post-punk band featuring Andrew Bailey (DIIV) on lead guitar. It snarled and simmered around darker textures, miles away from its early folk roots. James looked to his darkened smile and rechristened the project Dead Tooth. They gained momentum opening for bands like Hand Habits, The Space Lady and Current Joys.

After recording their second EP entitled Pig Pile, the pandemic disembodied the band as it did so many others. Ambitious to keep the momentum going and release the EP, James rebuilt the project from the ground up. He added an EWI/Sax player and relinquished his own live guitar duties for a frontman stage persona. The new crew consisting of Taylor Mitchell, James Duncan, Max Idas, Ginno Tacsiat and John Stanesco was quickly picked up by Rough Trade Publishing and Trash Casual Records. Shortly after, they went on to win OWL Winter Madness (a 16 band, 5 week long "battle of the bands" at Brooklyn's legendary rooftop venue Our Wicked Lady). They then found themselves playing SPIN Magazine’s SXSW showcase alongside The Lemonheads, Bass Drum of Death and Pom Pom Squad. SPIN wrote of SXSW, "If there was someone who really broke out...it was Brooklyn’s Dead Tooth.”