The core of The Genius File came together in late 2004 when two songwriters with very different and sometimes conflicting musical tastes met for beers after one responded to the other’s classified ad for like-minded musicians. Inevitable arguments ensued between indie rock and psychedelia aficionado Matt Taylor (who had spent the better part of a decade fronting a made-for-headphones psych pop project) and SoCal punk and alt-rock fan Ryan Rollins, but so did some promising demos of their collaboration. Taylor and Rollins continued writing songs and eventually found a rhythm section in drummer Jesse Hall and bassist Brian Klamer. After much woodshedding, the group began playing live in 2006 while simultaneously recording their self-produced debut album at their practice space. Eggs break open and God is happy.