Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, which is derived from a concept called Multi-sensory Aesthetic Theory that drummer Jacob Marshall studied while a student at Old Dominion University. Jacob Marshall and Dave Elkins began what would become Mae by writing their first song, "Embers and Envelopes", in Marshall's living room. The band signed with Tooth and Nail Records and released their first album, Destination: Beautiful, in 2003.