Initially formed in 2004 as the solo project of teenage singer/songwriter John McCauley, Deer Tick acquired shape over the coming years, evolving from McCauley's spare and quavering solo material into a rough-and-tumble road rock outfit as more bandmembers joined the fold. War Elephant, the debut album from the fully formed version of the band, was released in 2007, and over the next decade and beyond, the sound and approach of Deer Tick evolved through restless touring and a steady succession of studio albums.