In the months after Boston band Push Kings crashed and burned in Los Angeles, singer/guitarist/songwriter Finian McKean had a pop music hangover. Having led the Push Kings (along with brother Carrick) in a three album sunshine assault on the dour indie rock and crappy nu metal of the late '90s, McKean (pronounced 'muh-cane') was sick of sleazy managers, major label showcases, and the whole Silverlake scene; he was eager for new adventures, aching to rediscover the passion that drew him to rock n roll in the first place.

Cut off from the rest of the city, Finian let his hair grow, drew the curtains and recorded a new batch of songs alone in a room with tin ceilings and a green marble fireplace. He played every instrument and turned every knob himself, intent on exploring feelings so dark & private they could only be brought to life in this sensory-deprived isolation. The music that emerged is Shades Are Drawn, an audio document of depression and urban anxiety in the shattered style of legendary shut-ins like Syd Barrett and Skip Spence, with the understated intensity of Neil Young and JJ Cale.