Crafting a sound halfway between alternative rock and confessional singer/songwriter pop, the Utah-based band Meg & Dia began as a way for Meg and Dia Frampton to play music together. The Frampton sisters' dad was a DJ and the girls were exposed to a wide range of music while they were growing up, and were encouraged to express themselves through music: Dia sang at county fairs, while Meg learned to play guitar by playing along with the radio. Though the sisters played in several bands throughout their teen years, they took a break from the music business when Meg went to college in Salt Lake City. By 2005, though, the Framptons were ready to try again, so Dia joined Meg in SLC. In search of a bigger sound, the pair recruited drummer Nicholas Price and guitarist Kenji Chan; with their lineup complete, they recorded their first album, Our Home Is Gone, which they self-released later that year. The album, and Meg & Dia's live shows, caught the attention of Doghouse Records, who signed the band late in 2005 and put them in the studio with producers Stacy Jones and Bill Lefler to work on their first album for the label. Along with recording, Meg & Dia spent 2006 touring, including a stint on the Warped Tour's MySpace stage that summer. Their first Doghouse release, the What Is It? A Fender Bender EP, arrived a month before the full-length Something Real was released late that summer. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide