Formed in the late '80s, 700 Miles had a fruitful career for many years due to the songwriting skills of frontman John Carlin. But after realizing that his band was going nowhere due to record-company politics and the changing musical environment, he disbanded the group and began to play solo acoustic shows. He was facing a hard situation in his personal life, which fueled his songs a great deal. He set up shop in a painter's studio in Maine and began to record his new material, eventually leading to the release of his solo debut, 2001's Songs From the Black House.