The Extra Glenns are a side project of John Darnielle and Franklin Bruno, respectively best known for their main projects the Mountain Goats and Nothing Painted Blue. The band’s official website says that the project

began as a potential home for any song John wrote that had a) more than three chords or b) a bridge.

Other than sporadic appearances on indie compilations, The Extra Glenns only released a single full-length album, Martial Arts Weekend in 2002. For Darnielle in particular, this album marked a significant break from his previous work, though the full-band sounds of of Martial Arts Weekend would soon be integrated into the previously-lo-fi Mountain Goats discography.

In 2010, Merge Records announced that the band, “having streamlined their operation by dropping a G and a superfluous N from their name”, would release a new album, Undercard, from The Extra Lens.