Houston began in Duluth, MN, where guitarist/vocalist Jeff Halland and bassist/vocalist Lane Soderberg first got their start in rock & roll bands. Eventually, the duo moved south to Minneapolis, united with drummer Ian Prince, and began working on the stripped-down indie metal grooves of Houston. Overhead, the trio's self-released debut, appeared in 1999; it was followed by two EPs and a collection of live material. The 2001 full-length Head Like a Road Map was recorded in part by Shiner's Paul Malinowski, and expanded the band's palette to include post-rock experimentation, noise freakouts, and interlacing vocal and guitar harmonies à la Queens of the Stone Age. Two years later, a tour-savvy Houston returned with Bottom of the Curve, its first release for Michigan indie 54º 40' or Fight!, and continued playing shows throughout the Midwest and beyond.