While on tour supporting his album, indie rapper/producer Aesop Rock wrote a fan email to folk singer/songwriter Kimya Dawson. A few years later they reconnected during the creation of a arts-and-oddities blog, which in turn sparked the pair's collaborative musical efforts. After appearing on each other's respective recent solo records, both found more worth pursuing within the group dynamic, and The Uncluded were hatched. Their debut album Hokey Fright was recorded over the course of a year using a variety of locations and devices, from voice memo recorders to fleshed out studios.