Led by songwriter Michael Fitzpatrick, Fitz & the Tantrums brew up a retro sound inspired by Motown and Stax Records. Fitzpatrick initially formed the Tantrums as a neo-soul solo project, having purchased an old church organ and found that it helped inspire his songwriting. While recording a solo EP, he recruited an old college friend, James King, to add horn arrangements to the material. The lineup grew from there, with the Tantrums eventually becoming a coed septet. Songs for a Break Up, Vol. 1 marked the group’s first release in 2009, and Fitz & the Tantrums headed to South by Southwest the following year, stirring up some industry buzz in the process.