Soul Asylum was formed in Minneapolis in 1983 mixing tuneful but unrestrained punk, hardcore, 1970s rock, country and self-effacing kitsch. One early review described their sound as follows: some unholy mix of Kiss and Hank Williams thrown under the wheels of a runaway train.

All elements contributed to the band being credited with a grunge precursor title, a claim often recited in comparisons between pre-Nirvana Minneapolis and Seattle bands.