Ex Models were formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, New York by Shahin Motia, Shahyar Motia, Jake Fiedler and Mike Masiello. After releasing the Talking Heads-esque Other Mathematics in 2001, they took a brief break while members attended college. Adding a new bassist, Zach Lehrhoff of The Seconds (featuring Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), they released a split 7" with the Seconds and 2003's Zoo Psychology, a genre-bending, ring-modulated album of Devo worship.