Maps & Atlases formed in the fall of 2004 when the founding members met in art school at Columbia College Chicago in the South Loop of Chicago. Shiraz Dada (bass), Chris Hainey (drums), Dave Davison (guitar/vocals), and Erin Elders (guitar) got together to try to find a sound that is both technical and organic, in the same vein as their influences Don Caballero and Hella.
Shiraz Dada is the only member of the group who is born and raised in the Chicago area. Chris Hainey is originally from Texas, Dave Davison from Philadelphia, and Erin Elders grew up in Maui, Hawaii.
Maps & Atlases gained critical attention from an article in Guitar Player magazine in their October 2006 issue. In that interview, guitar player Elders says "Our goal was to put existing technical elements in a new context, and create something artistically unique, but still accessible."
The group was featured in a Pabst Blue Ribbon advertisement in The Onion.
Maps & Atlases are currently unsigned, but played at the Chicago portion of the invite-only 2006 College Music Journal Music Marathon on November 2, 2006. They played the 2007 and 2008 SXSW Music Festival.
For the month of December 2006, Maps & Atlases were the hosts of cable and satellite music video station Refused TV.
Maps & Atlases was covered in two articles in the Chicago Tribune in regard to their 2006 New Year's Eve show.
On May 16, 2008 Sargent House announced the completion of Maps & Atlases' newest EP. The 5 song EP is titled You Me And The Mountain and is said to be available July 16, 2008 via internet as well as from the band during their summer 2008 tour. Both EP's were made available to Indie Retail for the first time on September 9th 2008.
In July, 2009, the band was listed as the best new band in Illinois as part of The Boston Phoenix's 50 Bands, 50 States supplement.
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