Taking its name from Joseph Heller's Catch 22, Snowden is comprised of Chandler Rentz (drums), Corinne Lee (bass, keyboard), David Payne (guitar), and Jordan Jeffares (vocals, guitar, keyboard). The band formed in 2004, during frontman Jeffares' last year in college.

The group's early recordings consisted of bedroom demos and self-recorded EPs. Indie-radio success in their homestate of Georgia turned into a slew of shows in New York City, and Snowden soon signed with Jade Tree. Anti-Anti, the group's Jade Tree debut, was released in the summer of 2006.