Mount Eerie represents the latest evolution of Phil Elverum's musical vision. Formerly known as The Microphones, Elverum began Mount Eerie in 2003, maintaining his previous project's subtle, lo-fi, and lyrically dense fuzz-folk aesthetic. Elverum explained this change in an 2003 interview with Discorder, asserting that "Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new." As Mount Eerie, Phil typically works with synthesizers, guitars, drums, and the accenting voices of Mirah, The Blow, and fellow K-Records/Anacortes, Washington friends.