Formed in Montréal in 2005, trio Land of Talk was formed by front lady singer/guitarist Elizabeth Powell, bassist Chris McCarron and drummer Mark Wheaton. After a few years performing as singer/guitarist for a few Ontario-based punk groups in the late 1990s, Powell released a solo EP, Belle époque, before moving to Montréal in the early 2000s to study jazz at Concordia University, which she later stopped to concentrate fully on Land of Talk. In 2006, the band released its first album, Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss, followed by Some are Lakes two years later, an album produced by Justin Vernon of indie group The Rosebuds. After a few line-up changes, the trio now includes bassist Joseph Yarmush.