The Envy Corps

The Envy Corps were formed in October 2001 by Luke Pool, who met David Yoshimura at Iowa State University in early 2002 and quickly added him to the lineup as second guitarist. Pool changed his last name to Pettipoole soon after this. The band forged their sound in the coming years playing around the Midwest and featured many lineup changes, with Pettipoole and Yoshimura the only constant members. In 2004, after the release of their now rare debut Soviet Reunion, Yoshimura switched to bass guitar, his brother Scott took position behind the drumkit and former To My Surprise frontman Brandon Darner was conscripted as the new lead guitarist.

The band spent 2005 working feverishly on the first fruits of the new lineup. I Will Write You Love Letters If You Tell Me To EP was self-released in April 2006. The album garnered them lavish press and an extended stay on the CMJ Top 200 chart, as well as an opening slot for The Killers on their fall US tour. Based on the success of the EP, the band signed with the Mercury Records imprint Vertigo. In March 2007, the Story Problem EP was released on iTunes and double 7" in the UK, culling four tracks from Love Letters and serving as a teaser for the upcoming album. The band spent several months in 2007 working on their major label debut, Dwell, at a studio tucked away in the remote farmland of their home state. The album was released in the UK on April 28, 2008, and digitally in the US on July 8, 2008.