▁home ▁with ▁his ▁pre gn ant ▁wife . ▁He ▁worked ▁ 1 0 ▁hours ▁per ▁day , ▁sat ▁at ▁his ▁piano , ▁and ▁wrote ▁batch es ▁of ▁songs ▁every ▁week . ▁He ▁collect ively ▁spent ▁two ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁cabin . ▁ ▁Production ▁Following ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁Top anga ▁C any on , ▁Mc M ah on ▁started ▁working ▁with ▁producer ▁Mike ▁Vi ola ▁in ▁his ▁E cho ▁Park ▁gar age ▁studio . ▁Mc M ah on ▁took ▁what ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁while ▁making ▁the ▁EP , ▁namely ▁the ▁concept ▁for ▁getting ▁into ▁a ▁studio ▁and ▁working ▁on ▁something ▁in ▁a ▁tim ely ▁manner , ▁and ▁applied ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁album ' s ▁sessions . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Mc M ah on ▁and ▁Vi ola ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁demo ▁of ▁" High ▁D ive ". ▁The ▁demo ▁featured ▁piano , ▁program med ▁drums ▁and ▁guitar ; ▁after ▁mut ing ▁the ▁guitar ▁track , ▁the ▁pair ▁were ▁surprised ▁at ▁the ▁clar ity ▁of ▁the ▁piano ▁against ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁recording . ▁It ▁dawn ed ▁on ▁the ▁pair ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁work ▁around ▁the ▁production ▁without ▁need ing ▁to ▁have ▁too ▁many ▁layers ▁to ▁focus ▁on . ▁It ▁subsequently ▁became ▁the ▁production ▁template ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁album . ▁A ▁friend ▁of ▁Mc M ah on ' s ▁liked ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁James ▁Fl ann igan , ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁Mc M ah on ▁work ▁with ▁him . ▁The ▁two ▁of ▁them , ▁alongside ▁Fl ann igan '