Following the second split of Sunny Day Real Estate in 2001 (the first temporary break had taken place in 1995), the Seattle emo progenitors' key members--Jeremy Enigk, Nate Mandel, and William Goldsmith--formed a new group called the Fire Theft. Their self-titled debut album, featuring the single "Chain," was released in 2003. The band then went on hiatus as frontman Enigk restarted his long-dormant solo career, and bassist Nate Mandel focused on his day job as bassist for Foo Fighters.