 In January 2007, Shawn Crahan of Slipknot and Michael Pfaff of Grimes, Iowa, met and started to collaborate on a project they called Pfaffenclown.After initial writing sessions, they began to look for members for this new band and eventually invited Jeff Karnowski of Des Moines, Iowa on bass and Tyler Fyhrie of the Colorado-based band Murder of Crows on guitar.In April 2007, Crahan, who had known Stella since Slipknot began performing in Des Moines in 1995, invited her to become the lead vocalist for Dirty Little Rabbits.