The members of punk surf rockers Fake Tides were still in their teens when the band formed in Imperial Beach in 2014. A seven-track demo EP called 7th Street was self-released that November.
The lack of local all-age venues resulted in the band playing a lot of house parties. Bassist Sal Samano told the Reader “We played this one show called ‘Skinny and Long’ at this house that had a long and skinny backyard,” says drummer Edgar Alejandre. “Someone brought out a water hose and it got really muddy. Louis’s [Mireles, guitarist] pedals got all dirty. The neighbors fence almost got pushed over.”
By 2016, they were signed to local startup label Chuck Records, whose initial artist lineup also included Bad Kids, Pueblo, and Los Shadows, with the self-titled Fake Tides debut becoming the label's first release.