Borne by aspiring novelist and writer Mikel Jollett during a tumultuous period in his life, the Airborne Toxic Event (named after a section in American authorDon DeLillo's novel White Noise) were based in Los Angeles, and quickly made a name for themselves, earning a spot on the Top 25 MySpace bands in Rolling Stone magazine in 2006. That award was notable given that the band formed earlier that same year, initially as a duo consisting of Jollett and drummer Daren Taylor. Soon, a roster expansion was needed, and classically trained violinist Anna Bulbrook was brought in to play viola and keyboards, jazz bassist Noah Harmon joined up, and the guitar slot was filled by Steven Chen. Their first show as the Airborne Toxic Event took place in fall of 2006, and was followed by a regional rise to stardom, attracting an indie label and critical attention. 2007 would see the Event record their first EP and single (both titled Does This Mean You're Moving On?), which only helped to heighten the band's standing in the scene. In 2008, the band signed with MajorDomo Records, and released their first album, The Airborne Toxic Event, later that year. The Event played the CMJ Music Festival twice (2006 and 2007 editions) and in 2008 were to be seen at the Austin, TX South by Southwest Music Conference. In further promotion for their debut, the Airborne Toxic Event had a full festival appearance schedule lined up for 2008, playing all over the United States, as well as a handful of shows in Canada and the U.K.