In 2007 Chris Hess and Greg Osborne came together to create a unique Americana music experience. Though both came from very different music backgrounds the collaborative effort produced a soulful yet jagged sound. Hess moved to Indianapolis for a teaching position at Butler University after having spent many years in the American Northwest in a successful country rock band, Chuckanut Drive. Hess' music-playing started when he first picked up bass guitar and quickly found himself playing along with everything from Otis Redding to Townes Van Zandt. Soon thereafter he joined the short-lived Sedgwick County Turnpike but after that band quickly dissolved found a home playing with multi-instrumentalist Garth Highsmith and Steven Takeuchi in the alt country outfit Mayor West. After a successful EP and some regular airplay on Seattle's KEXP, Mayor West fell victim to the dreaded "creative differences." During this time between bands some of the first Nightjar songs were born. A solo career was put on hold as Chuckanut Drive, with Highsmith on pedal steel came calling when they needed a new bass player. Also during this time, Hess doubled up with Chuckanut drummer Kubby in Colin Spring's band playing mostly Hammond B3. But academia came calling and in 2007, Hess packed his gear and returned to his roots in the midwest. Osborne's prior experience included lead vocals and guitar for the '90s funk-rock band The Ochmonacks that performed regularly in Indianapolis. His early musical training was more formal; classical piano and Spanish guitar. Osborne met Hess while working on a short-lived solo music project titled Geneva Unison. Osborne's wife, also a professor at the university, introduced the two to each other shortly after Hess arrived in Indiana. A few sessions and one short performance in front of some fellow professors quickly solidified the new partnership. Hess' musical influences included notable performers such as Johnny Cash and The Band along with current singer-songwriters such as Joe Purdy and The Avett Brothers. Osborne grew up admiring everything from '80s indie bands such as The Smiths and R.E.M. to country artists such as Lyle Lovett. After the first few jam sessions and a few trips to see hear current acts such as The Drive-By Truckers and Ryan Adams and The Cardinals it was clear that the two's musical project aspirations were destined for a harmonious future. Hess quickly recruited Ty Hosklns on violin and bass guitar along with Colleen Heath for cello and vocals to form Nightjar. Within a few months a compilation of songs written by both Osborne and Hess were recorded in Osborne's Indianapolis home studio and later released to the public. Shortly thereafter Seattle transplant, Nathan Dynak, joined the group on drums. It wasn't long after that the band performed their first live shows in November of 2008.