During its initial run during the late 70s/early 80s, the new wave movement was largely looked down upon as a disposable musical form by the critics. By the early twenty-first century, classic new wave groups such as the Cars, Devo and Blondie had left a noticeable mark on countless up-and-coming rock artists, including the Chicago, Illinois, USA-based quintet, OK Go. Founding members Damian Kulash (b. Washington, DC, USA; vocals/guitar) and Tim Nordwind (bass) had been friends since the age of 11, and were members of other bands prior to the formation of OK Go in 1998. The band soon became a quartet, when additional members Dan Konopka (drums) and Andrew Duncan (keyboards/guitar) were welcomed aboard. The outfit issued a few independent CD singles, and appeared as the house band for radio show This American Life, which led to a recording contract with Capitol Records in 2002. The same year, OK Go's self-titled album, was issued. The album was buoyed by the radio play success of the single, "Get Over It".
The 2005 follow-up Oh No was recorded in Malmö, Sweden, where OK Go's brand of retro pop had found particular favour. Andy Ross replaced Duncan shortly before the end of the recording sessions, making his debut on the final track "The House Wins". The single "A Million Ways" was promoted by a web-based video which featured the band dancing in their back yard. Shot for the princely sum of $10, the video proved hugely popular with download statistics in excess of 9 million. The band's Internet popularity helped propel Oh No and new single "Here It Goes Again" into the upper regions of the digital charts.
