Judah & the Lion has been a family unto itself since forming at Nashville's Belmont University in 2011. Their differences were their strength as they crafted their sound over a bluegrass-heavy debut, Kids These Days, and a mold-breaking follow-up, Folk Hop N Roll, both produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell). In 2017, their triumphant "Take It All Back" topped the alternative songs chart for 3 weeks. Many of Pep Talks' songs were written on the bus immediately after the band's famously high energy shows and on tour w/ Twenty One Pilots, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, & KALEO - the boys co-produced the record w/ help from friends like Darren King, Jon Bellion, and Kacey Musgraves.