The acoustic jam band Vertical Horizon was formed in 1991 by Georgetown University undergrads Matt Scannell and Keith Kane; after graduation the duo relocated to Boston, and in 1992 self-released their debut LP There and Back Again. Non-stop touring followed, and soon the group was opening for bands like the Allman Brothers, Better Than Ezra and the Samples; they also appeared on the Aware II compilation alongside the likes of Hootie and the Blowfish, the Verve Pipe and Edwin McCain.