In 2002, longtime friends Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz began making music together after each of them had been involved in a number of other bands. They set about a short-lived R&B group called The Flying Dutchmen, before Lortz split off to collaborate with the trio The Fe Fi Fo Fums. By 2007, however, the pair reconvened under The Dutchess And The Duke for the “Reservoir Park” single on Lortz’ Boom Boom Castle imprint. Sub Pop subsidiary Hardly Art soon caught on to their raw, early Rolling Stones soul-meets-folk pop. Morrison and Lortz signed to the label, and quickly got to work on their debut full-length, SHE’S THE DUTCHESS, HE’S THE DUKE.