GOWNS began in late 2004, in Los Angeles, as a duo of Erika Anderson (a South Dakota native) and Ezra Buchla (a California native), both of whom were then quite active in various LA-based music projects. Ezra sang for Mae Shi on their first four records, and Erika was a guitarist for Amps for Christ and co-fronted the band Blue Silk Sutures with Tara Tavi, another AFC member.