Hailing from Kansas City, MO, the Republic Tigers spike their lushly orchestrated indie rock with organic and synthetic elements. Co-founder Kenn Jankowski originally moved to Kansas City in 1999 and began playing guitar for the People, a band that later changed its name to the Golden Republic. He also made fast friends with local musician Adam McGill, and when Golden Republic disbanded seven years later, the two multi-instrumentalists opted to launch their own pop-based project. Taking their name from Jankowski's high school mascot, the Republic Tigers expanded their lineup with guitarist/pianist Ryan Pinkston, bassist Marc Pepperman, and drummer Justin Tricomi. Electronic structures began playing an important role in their music, and the band issued a self-released EP in late 2007 before putting the finishing touches on Keep Color, which arrived in 2008 on Chop House Records.