Due West was formed in
Nashville, Tennessee, in 2004. Singer-songwriters Tim Gates, Brad Hull, and Matthew Lopez respectively natives of
Richfield, Utah,
Thatcher, Arizona, and Wolf, Wyoming met in 2004 when they were invited by
Diamond Rio member Dan Truman to attend a party at his sister's house. The three began performing and writing songs together soon afterward, as they noticed common interests in bands such as
Shenandoah and
McBride & the Ride. In 2009, the band independently formed the Bigger Than Me label and released their debut single "I Get That All the Time". Soon after, they released a self-titled, six-song EP. Don Chance of the
Times Record News rated the album "C", as he thought the songs were well-written and produced but lacking in artistic identity. Also released on Black River were the singles "The Bible and the Belt" and "When the Smoke Clears". Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe rated "The Bible and the Belt" an "F", criticizing its lyrical content for advocating child beatings. Roughstock reviewer Matt Bjorke rated
Forget the Miles four stars out of five, praising the band's lyrical content and finding their vocal harmony comparable to
Restless Heart.' Their next release for Black River was "Things You Can't Do in a Car" in 2012. The song became the band's first entry on the
Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. It was included on their second Black River EP
Our Time, produced by
Garth Fundis. Due West promoted the project by touring at various radio stations across the United States. "Things You Can't Do in a Car" spent 18 weeks on Hot Country Songs and peaked at number 47. The group made their first performance on the
Grand Ole Opry in September 2012. After leaving Black River Entertainment, they independently released the EP
Move Like That, which they funded through
Kickstarter. This project charted on
Billboard Top Country Albums upon release. Soon afterward, the trio released an album titled
Unbroken. ==Work with other artists==