Toronto's Deadly Snakes formed in the summer of 1996, rooting themselves in the `60s influences of the garage punk scene but quickly growing beyond it by incorporating elements of soul music, gospel and folk, growing more stylistically diverse with each record. The band's lineup has shifted with time, currently incorporating primary songwriters Max McCabe (who goes by "Age of Danger") and Andre Ethier along with Andrew Gunn, Chad Ross, Matthew Carlson and Jeremi Madsen. The band's vocals, songwriting credits and even instrumental roles have increasingly become shared among the collective.

The Deadly Snakes' debut Love Undone was released by famed indie Sympathy For The Record Industry and produced by Greg of the Oblivians. It featured a sound inspired by the Stooges and Ramones. The group continued along this path with their In The Red released I'm Not Your Soldier Anymore in 2001. 2003's Ode To Joy however saw the group taking a rootsy turn, eschewing punk speed for a loose pastiche of styles and sounds. This approach was further embraced with 2005's Porcella, which drew comparisons to the work of Tom Waits and Nick Cave.