Editing Palm Trees and Power Lines (section)

==Background and production==
Sugarcult released their third studio album ''[[Start Static]]'' in August 2001, which had two successful singles "Stuck in America" and "Bouncing Off the Walls",<ref name=AMbio>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sugarcult-mn0000483188/biography|title=Sugarcult {{!}} Biography & History|publisher=AllMusic|author=Prato, Greg|access-date=April 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716190130/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sugarcult-mn0000483188/biography|archive-date=July 16, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=SCnews101401>{{cite web|url=http://sugarcult.com/site/news.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011014162136/http://www.sugarcult.com/site/news.html|title=News|publisher=Sugarcult|archive-date=October 14, 2001|access-date=April 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> through Ultimatum Music in the United States and [[Epitaph Records]] in Europe.<ref name=BV/> Drummer Ben Davis went to rehab<ref name=BV/> and was replaced by Lefty drummer Kenny Livingston in September 2002;<ref name=SCnews/> Davis officially left the group by [[Thanksgiving]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/6360.html|title=Sugarcult - Epitaph punks talk to DiS|work=Drowned in Sound|author=Hocking, Mat|access-date=April 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040909074942/http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/6360.html|archive-date=September 9, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> With Livingston's arrival, the group was impressed by his skill level and inspired the members to improve their own skills on their respective instruments.<ref name=BV/> The band then rented a rehearsal room and spend each day working on new material, writing all of the songs that would later feature on their next album in less than two months.<ref name=TWCinterview/> The band supported ''Start Static'' with two years of tours,<ref name=TWCinterview/> running into February 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/5766.html|title=Sugarcult UK Shows - Sweet!|work=Drowned in Sound|author=Hocking, Mat|date=January 7, 2003|access-date=April 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040909075457/http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/5766.html|archive-date=September 9, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> By this point, frontman Tim Pagnotta had accumulated 16 new songs, with which he was hoping to expand on the "moodier" tracks from 'Start Static''.<ref name=PBMinterview>{{cite web|url=https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=11331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829152035/https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=11331|title=Sugarcult - Interview with Tim Pagnotta|publisher=Pennyblackmusic|author=Willis, Julia|date=February 15, 2003|archive-date=August 29, 2022|access-date=August 30, 2022}}</ref>

Pre-production was done at Studio 9 in Los Angeles, lasting for three weeks.<ref name=SCInside>{{cite web|url=http://www.sugarcult.com/an_inside_look.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040504182738/http://www.sugarcult.com/an_inside_look.html|title=An Inside Look at Palm Trees and Power Lines|publisher=Sugarcult|author=Pagnotta, Tim|archive-date=May 4, 2004|access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> Recording took place between March and June 2003<ref name=SCnews/> at Full Kilt Studio and Third Stone Recording in North Hollywood, California with Gavin MacKillop producing the proceedings.<ref name=PTAPLbooklet/> From May to September, the group went on a number of tours across Japan and Europe, with mixing and further recording sessions sprinkled in between.<ref name=SCnews/> John Nooney, Mauro Rubbi and Trent Slatton, the latter of whom also did programming, served as the [[Pro-Tools]] engineers during the sessions. Wesley Seidman acted as assistant engineer at Third Stone Recording. Additional production was then done by Pagnotta.<ref name=PTAPLbooklet/>

Several friends contributed instrumentation or vocals: Tim Cullen of [[Summercamp]] (additional backing vocals), [[Alain Johannes]] (additional guitar), Nooney and [[Ariel Rechtshaid]] of [[the Hippos]] (keyboards). Mixing was split across a few people at different studios: [[Tom Lord-Alge]] at South Beach Studio ("She's the Blade", "Crying", "[[Memory (Sugarcult song)|Memory]]", "Back to California" and "Over"), [[Mark Trombino]] at Chalice Recording Studios ("Worst December" and "Champagne") with assistance from Alan Mason, Mackillop ("Destination Anywhere", "What You Say", "Head Up" and "Counting Stars"), and [[Evan Frankfort]] ("Sign Off"). [[Brian Gardner]] mastered the recordings at Bernie Grudman Mastering in Hollywood, California.<ref name=PTAPLbooklet/>