Children of the 1990s, Western Education grew up in a time when Nirvana was classic rock and the Strokes were already elder statesmen, crafting a mix of earnest, passionate rock in the vein of turn-of-the-millennium angular indie and emo rock. After self-producing a pair of EPs in 2012, they were shortlisted as one of the best new bands in Boston in 2013 (by The Boston Phoenix). Western Education's full-length debut, Let Your Secrets Out, soon followed in 2014. On the 2016 EP Restless Dreams, they bridged the gap between their synth and emo influences, incorporating darker post-punk tones similar to Interpol and Bloc Party. While preparing their second album, the original song "New Dawn" surfaced in 2020, followed by a cover of Miley Cyrus' hit "Midnight Sky" in 2021.