The duo known as Tape Deck Mountain began by releasing all their recordings on cassette tapes. Travis Trevisan plays guitar and sings lead, while Paul Remund plays drums and other accompanying instruments, mainly keyboards. Bassist Jordan Clark also fronts the Feelings Mutual.

A professional graphic artist, Travis Trevisan - who also creates the band's artwork and promotional materials - says he was inspired to become a musician after seeing his first concert, the Smashing Pumpkins. His first band Liberty Park had to change their name after Linkin Park hit, to instead be called Holiday Minor.

He has also played with Lost Companions International, First Wave Hello, Long Live Logos, Redstone Arsenal, and Holiday Minor.

The debut Tape Deck Mountain EP Sparks was produced by Keith Milgaten (Vision of a Dying World, Jamuel Saxon), as were several remix tapes. Their full-length album Ghost was released in late 2009.

In 2010, the band made their first appearance at the annual SXSW music fest in Austin, Texas. Their Secret Serf EP was released in January 2011, opening with a rock opera-style tune P.I., concerning the misadventures of a particularly shady private investigator.

The four songs explore themes of poverty and privacy, perhaps inspired by frontman Travis Trevisan's 2010 bout with unemployment, where he worked various under-the-table jobs extending from working for the repo man to pulling his elderly neighbors' weeds. Sonically, the Secret Serf EP finds the band more focused, exploring and expanding their sound.