Joshua Radin was living in New York and trying to make his way as a painter and screenwriter when the opportunity for an open mic night came up. His delicate and heartbreaking "Winter" was a hit with the audience that night. With some friends' encouragement, it led to Radin following a career as a musician, releasing two independent albums, and garnering comparisons to classic singer-songwriters such as Nick Drake and Simon & Garfunkel, to modern-day luminaries such as Elliott Smith.