Hop Along began as an acousticfreak folksolo project known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis in 2004, during Frances Quinlan's senior year in high school.[4][5] Quinlan released their debut album Freshman Year in the summer of 2005.[6]
Quinlan performed an acoustic solo act for several years as they honed their style, stating "I would envy [full ensembles] because I thought that a band inherently carries more energy than a person does solo. I suppose you could argue that point, but when I was playing by myself it was just out of necessity. I wanted to play and I just couldn’t seem to get a band together. I wanted to write and I didn’t want to wait for anybody."[7]
Three years after Quinlan's first album, their brother Mark joined the project as drummer, followed by bassist Tyler Long in 2009. As a trio, the band's name was shortened to Hop Along.[4] The group’s first release was an EP titled Wretches in 2009, followed by their second full-length album Get Disowned on May 5, 2012.[8] The album was a critical success in the independent music press.[9][10][11] Quinlan said they wanted the album to be produced by a friend rather than a stranger. The band approached Joe Reinhart of Algernon Cadwallader, who Quinlan had met through the Philadelphia basement show scene, to produce the album.[12] Reinhart was later added to the band's lineup on lead guitar.[4]
In October 2014, Hop Along signed to indie rock label Saddle Creek Records,[13] which released the band's third full-length record, Painted Shut, on May 4, 2015.
On January 22, 2018, the title and tracklisting of the band's fourth full-length record was revealed.[14] The lead single "How Simple" appeared on streaming sites the next day after a postcard vinyl was sent in the mail.[15] The nine-track Bark Your Head Off, Dog was released on April 6, 2018. It was recorded by Joe Reinhart and Kyle Pulley at Headroom Studios.[16]
