Toronto indie pop outfit Ducks Ltd has consistently emphasized bittersweet jangle, taking cues from the Go-Betweens, Orange Juice, and leading acts tied to the Sarah Records catalog. Originally active as Ducks Unlimited, the group changed its name in 2021 to avert legal action from the conservation organization sharing that title. Following the adjustment, Ducks Ltd reissued the 2019 debut EP Get Bleak before issuing its first full-length, Modern Fiction. The 2024 sophomore album Harm's Way moved away from the earlier home-recorded approach toward fuller production.
Frontman and songwriter Tom McGreevy wrote the project's initial track, the reverb-laden 2017 single "Age of Entertainment," which he cut with bassist and string arranger Paul Erlichman of Germaphobes, violinist Lee Rose from Planet Creature, and backing vocalist Jesse Crowe of Beliefs. The sound soon shifted to a livelier style inspired by 1980s jangle pop on "It's Easy," also released that year, after McGreevy formed a duo with Evan Lewis. Those early recordings earned opening slots with the Goon Sax, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and Weyes Blood while the pair developed an EP. Ducks Ltd placed Get Bleak with Bobo Integral Records, where it appeared in late 2019. Strong notices across multiple outlets drew the attention of Carpark Records, which reissued the EP in May 2021 with three bonus tracks added. Before the year closed, the band delivered its first proper album, Modern Fiction.
Get Bleak and Modern Fiction were both tracked and produced by the duo in their Toronto home studio. To achieve a broader sonic reach on the follow-up, McGreevy and Lewis traveled to Chicago and brought in outside musicians, working with producer Dave Vettraino as well as players from Dehd, Ratboys, Lawn, and Dummy. The sessions produced the richer, more detailed sound of Harm's Way in 2024.
