Originating in San Francisco's coastal setting, the Botticellis fuse pop-oriented composition with ethereal guitar textures, analog recording methods, and an enduring fascination with surf culture. Zack Ehrlich and Alexi Glickman, the band's founders, grew up in Southern California and began crafting songs together during middle school while making regular trips to Venice Beach for surfing. They developed an affinity for the consistent, hollow waves that reached chest height there, coining the term botticellis—an Italian reference to "little barrels"—and immersing themselves in the locale's bright, wave-riding atmosphere. Several years afterward, while pursuing music studies at UC Santa Cruz, Ehrlich and Glickman encountered lo-fi producer Burton Li, who assisted the pair in capturing an initial album. Li subsequently became a member, prompting the trio to relocate northward to San Francisco. In their new surroundings the group expanded further when lyricist Blythe Foster and bassist Ian Nansen came aboard. Embracing a sweeping, sun-soaked sonic approach, the five-piece ensemble settled into a shared residence in San Francisco's Outer Richmond district to focus on their first full-length record. Old Home Movies appeared on Antenna Farm Records four years afterward.
