The San Francisco quintet Thriving Ivory originated after vocalist Clayton Stroope first crossed paths with pianist and songwriter Scott Jason while both attended college. Guitarist Drew Cribley, bassist Bret Cohune, and drummer Paul Niedermier completed the lineup shortly afterward. Taking cues from U2 and Coldplay, the band launched into campus performances and captured its self-financed, self-titled independent debut under the guidance of Jellyfish’s Chris Manning serving as producer. Audience support grew through concerts and the album alike, yet further traction arrived when local station KITS added the track “Angels on the Moon” to its full rotation, prompting listeners to request it among the outlet’s most frequent selections. Following a 2007 deal with Wind-Up Records, Thriving Ivory enlisted producer Howard Benson to craft an updated edition of the debut album that featured both newly written material and re-recorded selections, with the project appearing in June 2008.
