Jason Weinheimer, Dave Hoffpauir, and Chris Michaels met in Shreveport, LA. All three were involved in the local music scene. Indy Grotto made her way to the states after a childhood in Australia and an education in South America. She met Weinheimer their first year of college and they played their first gig together that semester. They followed their friends to Little Rock, AR, after they graduated school and shortly thereafter the quartet formed the Boondogs. Along the way, Hoffpauir played and recorded with Ho-Hum and Michaels with Beanland.

In 1997, they recorded their debut with Barry Poynter. Smarter Than Some became a regional hit and a critics' favorite. After several years of constant touring, the band entered two songs in Jerry Harrison's (Talking Heads) garageband.com talent search. They were awarded the first garageband.com recording contract. As Jason Weinheimer puts it, "I sat on the couch for three months and the next thing I know, Jerry Harrison is calling and offering me a record deal."

Unfortunately, the label went bust during the dot-com crash of the late '90s and the album the Boondogs recorded went unreleased. Undeterred, the band preserved and released two albums recorded in their home studio, including This Is the Way the World Ends in 2002 and an untitled EP in 2003. In 2005, the band signed with Max Recordings and released Fever Dreams. ~ Michael Cusanelli