Along with such similarly styled outfits as the Goo Goo Dolls, the New Orleans trio Better Than Ezra helped open the floodgates for countless chart-topping mainstream alt-pop acts of the late '90s (Sugar Ray, Semisonic, Matchbox Twenty, Third Eye Blind, etc.) by merging ock with melody and creating a more easily digestible form of alternative music for the masses. Better Than Ezra began as a oots rock outfit with slight elements of both country and punk; originally formed in 1988, the band consisted of members Kevin Griffin (vocals, guitar), Joel Rundell (guitar), Tom Drummond (bass), and Cary Bonnecaze (drums) while all were attending Louisiana State University. Their first gigs were expectedly at college bars and fraternity houses, which was followed by a debut cassette-only release in 1990, Surprise, which received positive press and comparisons to such alt-punk stalwarts as the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. But despite the accolades, the group's future was suddenly thrust into doubt when Rundell committed suicide on August 8, 1990.

Immediately following Rundell's passing, the remaining members opted to go their separate ways, but by the end of the same year had reunited as a trio. Deciding that a change of scenery would be a good idea, Better Than Ezra relocated to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, where they laid down tracks at a friend's home studio, resulting in the 1993 independent release Deluxe. The album continued to raise the band's profile further, resulting in several major labels vying to sign up the band. Signing on with Elektra, Better Than Ezra's new label reissued Deluxe two years after its original release, which spawned a sizeable radio hit with the track "Good," helping push the album to platinum status by the end of 1995. But despite enjoying a hit right off the bat, Bonnecaze opted to leave the group in early 1996 and was replaced by a fellow New Orleans native (who at the time was living in San Francisco), Travis McNabb.