As Tall as Lions, sometimes referred to as ATAL, is a band from Long Island, New York. The band was founded in December of 2001 as high school friends Dan Nigro (vocals, guitar, piano), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, drums), Brian Fortune (guitar) and Cliff Sarcona (drums), were looking to continue the momentum of a previous project. Saen said, "We felt we were onto something good and despite member lineup changes, we felt we had something worth pursuing." The band was already at work on the songs "Dancing in the Rearview," "A Fighting Word," and "And The Wick Burnt Black" and decided to put together an EP, utilizing these songs, but re-recorded vocals and guitar.