 Bragg was concerned, however, that his fans would not realize that the songs were written by Guthrie when he performed them on tour, so he decided to record the album with another band.Bragg contacted Tweedy and Bennett about co-recording the album while Wilco was on the European segment of their "Being There" tour.Bragg was particularly fond of "Being There" because their influences extended farther back than the 1950s.