This is the first album by Tegan and Sara to feature songs co-written by the pair, as they usually choose to write separately. There are two of these songs, though they were not written while Tegan and Sara stayed together in New Orleans as an attempt to write together. No songs from that time made it on to the album, although one such song lends its title to that of the record. The song was inspired by a Leonard Cohen lyric. The record also includes co-written songs from Tegan's side project with Hunter Burgan, bassist of AFI (band).  The Album was produced and mixed by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla at an LA studio during the summer of 2009.