The Greenhornes started life as a high school band based in Dearborn County, Indiana (20 miles west of Cincinnati) called Us and Them, self-releasing a four-track tape. Originally a five piece that included guitarist Brian Olive (who later departed to play with the Toledo-based Soledad Brothers under the alias Oliver Henry) and keyboardist Jared McKinney, the Greenhornes debuted in 1998, issuing their first bit of music on a single, "The End of the Night" backed with "No More," released by Deary Me Records. The following year they released their first full-length album, Gun for You. A self-titled LP followed in 2001. 2002's Dual Mono came after the departure of Olive and McKinney and included guitarist and vocalist Eric Stein, currently guitarist and vocalist of The Griefs. By 2003, the band was down to Fox, Lawrence, and Keeler. 2005 saw the release of East Grand Blues, an EP for V2 Records, which was produced by Detroit musician Brendan Benson. It was quickly followed by the compilation Sewed Soles. The band's collaboration with Holly Golightly, "There Is an End", was the theme song of Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film, Broken Flowers.