Dead American was born out of timing, patience, and waiting for the right moment. In the wake of his departure from Saosin, Cove Reber ventured into a slower paced lifestyle in order to both deconstruct and then rebuild into a new normal. Though the desire to write and create never dissipated, the opportune sign needed to present itself in order to regain the needed passion to commit to the process again. In 2016, Cove was introduced to Chad Jordan through a mutual friend.