The roots of psych-garage combo The Mystery Lights can be traced back to Salinas, California, where guitarists Mike Brandon and Luis "L.A." Solano formed the band while still in high school. Crafting their own distinctive take on a Nuggets-era '60s sound, they played around their home turf for several years, frequently revising their lineup and eventually releasing their debut LP, Teenage Catgirls & The Mystery Lightshow, in 2009.