In March 2013 three Baltimore indie pop enthusiasts launched the jangle pop trio Expert Alterations: drummer Paul Krolian, bassist Alan Everhart (also a member of the shoegaze outfit Wildhoney), and guitarist Patrick Teal. Drawing from U.K. post-punk acts like the Fall, C-86 outfits such as Close Lobsters, and New Zealand pop ensembles typified by the Clean, the group performed regularly throughout their hometown. Krolian organized the local indie showcase Baltimore Popfest, while the band shared bills with Crystal Stilts, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the Flatmates, and additional artists.
Expert Alterations issued a self-titled five-song cassette EP in 2014. Following several repressings, Slumberland brought the recording out on vinyl the next year. By then the trio had already inked a deal with Kanine Records and started work on a full-length debut. Producers Miles Waltuck and Dan Frome guided the sessions, which moved so swiftly that most tracks were captured in just one or two takes. The brisk approach allowed the basic tracks to be finished in three days, though Velocity Girl’s Archie Moore required several additional months to complete the mixing. The resulting album, You Can't Always Be Liked, appeared in late 2015.
