Stepdad formed in 2009 when Ryan McCarthy and ultramark began working on electro-pop recordings in their Chicago apartment. The band first arrived at a modicum of mass exposure in 2010 through their theme song for web comic Axe Cop. The group relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan and expanded their lineup to include bassist Alex Fives and drummer Jeremy Malvin. The group self-released their first EP, Ordinaire, opened for Passion Pit and Fitz & the Tantrums, and contributed another theme song to Atom.com web series Top Rope. In 2012, the band completed work on Wildlife Pop. They signed to Warner Bros. subsidiary label Black Bell and the album was released later in the year. ~ Fred Thomas