▁he ▁v owed ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁word ▁out ▁about ▁the ▁need ▁of ▁the ▁Afghan ▁people . ▁ ▁The ▁O aks ▁is ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁asp ir ations . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Cost ello ▁and ▁Ant ol ick ▁met ▁as ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁South ▁Florida . ▁They ▁played ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁project ▁" Fig ure ▁vs ▁Gr ound " ▁before ▁re loc ating ▁to ▁sub urban ▁Or lando ▁and ▁creating ▁The ▁O aks . ▁Cost ello ▁was ▁purs uing ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁Bi ology , ▁while ▁Ant ol ick ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁his ▁Master ' s ▁in ▁Philosoph y ▁and ▁teaching ▁Environment al ▁Eth ics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁The ▁O a K s ' ▁Ryan ▁Cost ello ▁sold ▁everything ▁he ▁owned , ▁joined ▁a ▁human itar ian ▁organization ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Afghan istan . ▁Cost ello ▁lived ▁there ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Afghan ▁mountains ▁with ▁returned ▁refuge es , ▁teaching ▁them ▁cre ative ▁agricult ural ▁techniques ▁and ▁becoming ▁fl uent ▁in ▁their ▁native ▁language , ▁D ari ▁( Pers ian ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Cost ello ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁re unit ing ▁with ▁his ▁long - time ▁cre ative ▁partner , ▁The ▁O a K s ' ▁drum mer ▁Matthew ▁Ant ol ick . ▁Cost ello ▁and ▁Ant ol ick ▁collabor ated ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁band ' s ▁first ▁CD , ▁" O ur ▁F athers ▁and ▁The ▁Things ▁They ▁Left ▁Be hind