Southern California surfer Alex Woodard had scored several gigs on television throughout his youth, often appearing on the Love Boat among others. He was also teaching himself to play the piano and guitar during this period, dreaming of a career of songwriting while alternately pursuing his acting career. After starting at UCLA, Woodard finally began writing and moved to Boston to capitalize on a good job. Unfortunately, he was unhappy with his situation and wanted to get back to the West Coast, so he packed up and moved to Seattle, Washington the following year. Woodard began to release EPs in the late 90's and started making friends in the scene, including former Posies/Sunny Day Real Estate bassist Joe Bass and former Posies/Fountains of Wayne drummer Brian Young. The three hooked up with guitarists Abel Ames and Phil Hurley (Gigolo Aunts) and began writing for Woodard's first album, Nowhere Near Here. The album was released in 2000 to enthusiastic reviews, and the band hit the road promoting the record. After a short break, Woodard returned in the summer of 2002 with Saturn Returns, featuring the same band and more of his lush power pop tracks.