The group issued its first EP as a self-titled affair under the name Solar Saturday in 2001. Members Chris Colthart and Donna Coppola had previously accompanied Papas Fritas on a tour promoting their third album Buildings and Grounds (2000).[1] Following a move to Los Angeles, the group reconvened with Colthart, Coppola, Chris Phillips, and Scott Barber, and changed its name to Faraway Places. In 2003, they released a full-length on Eenie Meenie Records, which received enough attention to warrant a European release through the Bella Union label.[1] The record won the group comparisons to XTC and the Elephant 6 collective.[1] A follow-up arrived in 2009.
