XO (Vinyle) Heavy Blinkers Margaret initially pursued a degree

Margaret initially pursued a degree in composition but left music school halfway through

by CBS Records

after their world tour for Hail to the Thief (2003)

alongside acts such as Arcade Fire

The album’s title refers to the “aubade”

XO (Vinyle) Heavy Blinkers Margaret initially pursued a degreeEarly sessions for the album began at Larry Crane's Jackpot Recording Studio after the release of Either Or in 1997, yielding demos and outtakes later featured on New Moon. Work intensified in early 1998 when Smith traveled to Los Angeles to collaborate with producers Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock. An early title considered was Grand Mal. The first track, "Sweet Adeline," was inspired by Smith's grandmother singing with Sweet Adelines International.