Absent Elk frontman Kjetil is from Norway, an emigration which gave the band their unusual name and influences much of the lyrical content. The rest of the band are from Brighton, and have played together in various formats for many years before finding the right man to complete the lineup. Within three weeks of meeting Kjetil, Absent Elk played their first live show to a few thousand festival-goers, having written an entire new set. They then signed to Sony BMG and quickly set about work on their debut album.