 Most of the songs on the record deal with themes of longing and dehumanization.Hostage was recorded near downtown Los Angeles at Grandma's Warehouse Studio by Alex Newport, whose band discography includes Fudge Tunnel, Nailbomb, and Theory of Ruin, and whose producer discography includes The Locust, Kylesa, and The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower.The session included one day of pre-production in a rehearsal studio, nine days of tracking, and four days of mixing.