began writing songs together

In April 2014, Staind guitarist Mike Mushok and ex- Three Days Grace singer Adam Gontier began writing songs together, without the intention of creating a band. They ended up writing 11–12 tracks and were impressed with what they had written. They recorded a three-song demo and garnered the interest of RCA Records . The duo later enlisted former Finger Eleven drummer Rich Beddoe, and former Dark New Day bassist Corey Lowery to complete their lineup. The band released their first teaser early May 2015, which featured the fact that “25 Top Ten Rock Singles” were shared between each member, 17 of which are number ones, and teased the band’s first single, logo and clips of the band. On May 15, 2015, the group released their debut single ” Better Place “. They made their debut live performance at Rock on the Range as the opening act for the main stage on May 16, and were billed as a special guest. When asked about the title of the band, Gontier stated that they are “…more like refugees that just hit it off creatively.”