After performing in bands for most of his life, Drew De Four began his solo career in April of 2006. With the help of Justin McNicholl (closest of friends and manager for the first year of Drew's career), Drew set out across the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland performing over 100 shows in 6 months. Having no booking agent (except himself and Mr. McNicholl), Drew contacted many venues personally and the tour was a combination of Dueling Piano Bars (a form of entertainment involving popular music, sing-along, comedy, and heavy crowd participation which has earned Drew a living from 2002 up until the present day) and proper original music venues. Because of Drew's obscurity at the time and the need to make an impression upon cold (new) crowds every night, most of Drew's writing became focused on songs that "sounded like other songs." Songs like "It's On You" and "Gimme What You Got" were Jerry Lee Louis inspired show-stoppers. "Ordinary Love" and "Slowin Down" were the mid-tempo foot tappers that keep a show rolling. "You Only Kiss Me When You're Drunk" was the typical blues song with an entertaining story and room for musical showmanship. "In My Dreams" was the pop ballad that always stayed in people's memory long after the show was over. "In the End You Die" was the comedy-bit song that could change the dynamic of the show at any point. At the end of the tour, Drew called up local Ann Arbor musicians Theo Katzman (drums, vocals), Christian Carpenter (bass), Gary Prince (guitar), and Sara Curtin (vocals), to record the 11 songs that Drew had forged from life on the road. With a great deal of help and advice from local producer, Michael King, Drew felt ready to self-produce his first album. After a few sessions at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor (with Chris DuRoss and Geoff Michael), "Earlier Work" was successfully recorded, mixed, and mastered. With iconic artwork by Michelle Bien (the cartoon appears on Drew's website), the album remains relevant years later with almost all of its songs finding their way into Drew's setlists at original music shows.