 According to Jason Falkner, Jon Brion initially got into contact with him after listening to a mixtape of the album "Odessey and Oracle" by the Zombies he had compiled for his then-girlfriend.Brion called Falkner to invite him to an informal jamming session with musicians Buddy Judge and Dan McCarroll.The meeting caught the attention of a music executive and led to a record label bidding war for a supposed band composed of the four musicians.