Or, the Whale was a San Francisco-based Americana band formed in 2006 through a Craigslist advertisement. Their debut album Light Poles and Pines was released independently in 2007 (reissued by Seany Records in 2009) and included the single "Call and Response", which reached number 7 on the NMW Indie Chart. The band earned a 2008 Hollywood Music Award for Best Americana/Roots Artist. Or, the Whale released their second album Or, the Whale in 2009, which charted at number 69 on the AMA Chart and number 90 on the CMJ Charts. They were notably featured on Good Morning America and toured with acts like Fleet Foxes and Devil Makes Three.