Rock and roll quartet the BoDeans formed in Waukesha, WI when singer/songwriters and guitarists Sammy Llanas and Kurt Neumann, who had been jamming together since high school, decided to form a band. The duo found a rhythm section with bassist Bob Griffin and drummer Guy Hoffman and the quartet adopted the name the BoDeans. Slash Records, a label manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros., picked up the BoDeans and released their debut albu, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams in 1986. The album, which gets its title from the Rolling Stones' song "Shattered," was a good first effort and the foursome subsequently stepped in the studio to work on their sophomore album.

After clocking in studio time with Wisconsin native and Talking Head Jerry Harrison as producer, the BoDeans released Outside Looking In in 1987. The album, which signaled the departure of Hoffman from the band, broke into the Top 100 best-sellers and scored the BoDeans a spot touring with U2. They also appeared on Robbie Robertson's eponymous debut solo album and were hailed Best New Band by Rolling Stone. For the BoDean's third album, 1989's Home, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol were added to the group. The lineup would prove to be short-lived, however, as the BoDeans were short a drummer after the release of 1991's Black and White and for 1993's Go Slow Down. In 1995 the band released the live double album Joe Dirt Car and the following year issued Blend. "Closer to Free," from Go Slow Down became a hit around this time when it was chosen as the theme song for Party of Five.

After eight years away from the spotlight, the BoDeans surfaced on Zoe with Resolution and then in 2005 they released Homebrewed-Live from the Pabst on Back Porch Records. Eric Holden replaced Griffin in 2006 and two years later the BoDeans released their most recent effort, Still.