Following the implosion of Jonathan Fire*Eater, three of its members went on to form The Walkman and Stewart Lupton seemingly disappeared. Taking time off from music lead to a bevy of rumors about Lupton's whereabouts and what he was up too. (He was spotted reading poetry in an underground speakeasy in Prague, had a brief encounter with Croatian Border Control agents on his way to China, studied with Shaolin monks in a secret mountain temple where he learned the secrets of astral travel.) In reality, Lupton returned from New York City to his hometown of Washington, DC and enrolled at George Washington University to study poetry, medieval studies, and modern art history. During these years, he taught himself how to play guitar and honed his writing skills and gave frequent poetry readings at obscure DC area beatnik playgrounds.

When asked why it took him ten years to resurface as a musician and release new music, Stewart Lupton explains, "I had been through industry machine and wasn't exactly excited about my options. I began finding musicians that I wanted to play with which then lead to the recording of Cheekbone Hollows (Pop. 1/2 Life). Then I found the DC label, Gypsy Eyes, who understood my perspective. I guess it just took me this long to find the right people to partner with. Plus I needed to find a healthier place in my life so I could do it on my own terms."