The story of new indie rock band Broken Anchor begins in a home studio in Los Angeles' diverse Echo Park neighborhood, where the song “Broken Anchor Blues” was recorded in 2012. The project grew organically out of a collaboration between Austin Hartley-Leonard and producer, Brad Gordon. The music reflects a broader influence from Austin's previous efforts, lending itself to comparisons with Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes and what Brad calls “a kind of elegant lo-fi retro vibe". New perspectives on life and love outside of music brought new inspiration and ideas to Austin's songwriting. As he and Brad entered the studio to begin recording, they took each song as it came and let the songs lead the way. “Since these tunes were new and he was looking for a new sound, I felt we really had to push them down the hill and see where they went,” Brad says.