 Stevens recorded and produced the album at multiple venues in New York City using low @-@ fidelity studio equipment and a variety of instruments between late 2004 and early 2005 . The artwork and lyrics explore the history , culture , art , and geography of the state — Stevens developed them after <unk> criminal , literary , and historical documents . Following a July 4 , 2005 release date , Stevens promoted Illinois with a world tour . 
