Begun as an outlet for the spare and quavering solo material of singer/songwriter John McCauley, Deer Tick evolved into a rough-and-tumble road rock outfit as more participants joined the fold while continuing to integrate sounds from indie folk-rock, alternative country-rock, and blues-rock. The debut album from the fully formed version of the band, War Elephant, was released in 2007, and their approach grew only more visceral and vigorous through years of restless touring and the release of studio albums like 2013's Negativity and 2023's Emotional Contracts.