Canadian singer/songwriter Sam Roberts released his first true debut in 2002, following a popular demo he had made in Montreal. Before that point, he had been a violin player that eventually moved on to guitar and started a rock band with his friends. After getting a little feature on Much Music, they decided to try their luck in Los Angeles, where they disbanded in 1998. The band didn't get any positive reactions from record labels, but that didn't stop Roberts from going back to Canada and writing again. He put together the afore-mentioned demo before sitting down to record his debut, The Inhuman Condition, which was released in 2002.