Toronto modern hard rock quintet Evans Blue came together around 2003 after its members found each other by chance through a local musician's message board. Comprised of vocalist Matisyn, guitarists Parker Lauzon and Vlad Tanaskovic, bassist Joe Pitter, and drummer Darryl Brown, the group signed with Pocket Recordings in 2005, entering Pocket Studios with Trevor Kustiak (Cool for August) soon after. The result was their debut, The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume, jointly released in February 2006 by Pocket and Hollywood Records. A spring tour supporting Taproot followed, during which Brown left unannounced, to later be replaced by Davis Howard. In July 2007 the band's second album, The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends, hit shelves.