The band got its name after Middleton, inspired by Lundy's obsession with the 1920s, found the name "Ocie Cleve" in a 1920s name generator and combined it with the first name of folk singer Elliott Smith.
As a child, Lundy sang in the school choir, although she was more focused on sports. Her dad, however, wanted her to become a musician. Middleton's father played acoustic guitar often on camping trips and also inspired his interest in music. Lundy attended art school in Victoria.[4]
They met and began dating in 2016, when Middleton performed solo at a cafe on Salt Spring Island in which Lundy was working.[5]
A month into their relationship, Lundy's sister and a friend insisted that Middleton and Lundy, who were both artists, perform together. They immediately performed a rendition of "Look at Miss Ohio" by Gillian Welch. For their first couple years together, they only performed cover versions of about 50 songs in coffee shops and restaurants. Artists whose songs they performed include Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Milky Chance, and Beach House.[1]
They released a self-titled EP in 2017.[6] Their song "Run to You" was included in a 2019 episode of Grey's Anatomy and their song "The Less We Know" was included in a 2022 episode of the show.[1][7]
