The Kelly Bros. (Fred and Jonathan) and the Bateman Bros. (Tommy and Trace) are lifelong friends who have played music in a variety of projects together over the years. The band formed in 1999 and began releasing recordings almost immediately (Raise the Radio and Return of The Rockwells, both full-length albums released in 2000, followed by star*smile*strong in 2001).

In 2002 the Rockwells co-founded a musical cooperative called Migrant Records, which released their next album Little Symphonies for Kids, on April 30, 2002. Two EPs followed: a self-titled release nicknamed the Brown EP (2003) and Tear It Down (2004), the latter of which attracted radio play on NPR and led to a performance at Bonnaroo in 2006.

The Rockwells spent two years working on their next album, Place & Time, which was released in 2008. Vinyl re-releases of the band's back catalog began with a remix/remaster of the Brown EP and Tear It Down, each taking a side of a 12" vinyl record, released in 2022.