Caleb amicably split with the project early on, and Jacob went on to continue the project with his childhood friend Drew Diver. Exchanging song snippets and ideas via email and telephone (Diver lived in Columbus, OH at the time, and Graham was in Orlando, FL), the duo put together their first batch of diaphanous, synth-kissed indie pop tunes. Their demos caught the attention of Shelflife Records (at that point home to some similarly dreamy, pop-oriented acts, including Days and Burning Hearts), and Horse Shoes' debut EP, Imperial School, was released on that label in the fall of 2009. The fledgling label Holiday Records released a digital single of Horse Shoes' cover of the Field Mice's "I Wish I Meant More to You" that same year. ~ Margaret Reges