Formed in 1984 by high-school friends Sammy Llanas and Kurt Neumann, the BoDeans mixed Midwestern roots rock with elements of adult contemporary pop, fashioning a sound that earned critical acclaim during the '80s and commercial recognition during the following decade. Llanas and Neumann fronted the group by sharing vocal and guitar duties, while bassist Bob Griffin and drummer Guy Hoffman populated the rhythm section. Although based in Waukesha, WI, the BoDeans began building an audience 20 miles east in Milwaukee, and their success in that town helped gain them a contract with Slash Records, with manufacturing and distribution handled by Warner Bros.

Thanks to Neumann's renewed passion and determination, the BoDeans are still going strong a quarter century after their Burnett-produced debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams led them to win a Rolling Stone readers' poll as "Best New American Band," and nearly 20 years after their "Closer to Free" became a massive hit and the theme song of the sitcom Party of Five. The BoDeans continue to tour the U.S. year-round, exposing the kids of their longtime steadfast fans to heartfelt, trend-free, American-made music.

But things could've turned out very differently. Neumann acknowledges that Llanas' abrupt departure had triggered an intensive and extended bout of soul searching, causing him to question the basic assumptions he'd carried with him through the life of his band.

"In my frustration, I asked myself, What is BoDeans?" he says. "Is it me, or someone else, or the music. I thought about all the letters people have written me over the years explaining how our music had played an intimate role in some part of their lives-a wedding, a death, a celebration, growing up, growing old. And I came to the realization that the key to the BoDeans' identity is the fans' connection to our music. So the inspiration for this record is just that-to carry on with what I started many, many years ago, and to do it for as long as people continue to feel that connection. That's why I'm so excited about this record. I've been humbled by the notion that the fans have given me the chance to go on."