Leif Fairfield was first lured into songwriting after witnessing the one-man show of Andrew Bird at The Galaxy in San Francisco. After playing in an emo band, country gospel outfit, indie pop-rock group, and a traditional mariachi; he eventually settled into violin-centric pop music, drawing inspiration from a variety of artists, including Laurie Anderson, Slowdive, Ingram Marshall, and Panda Bear. He recorded his first album Delaware Sessions in 2004, enlisting the support of his housemates Keith Gidlund and Hans Ashlock (of Winter's Fall). While pursuing an MFA in Cincinnati, he began incorporating performance art, sculptures, and a growing spiritual practice into solo performances, anchored with a violin played through Line-6 loops and textures. He recorded Facts of War in 2008, enlisting performances from former bandmates Bryan Maurer and Matthew D. Kronbach. He simultaneously released Powdered Sugar Avalanche under the moniker Shields Down with his brother and sister-in-law. He joined the sprawling 7-member band Sleeping Sea, covering an entire album of music as The Infamous Sun Drips Extended Play Disc Written by the Sleeping Sea (2011). He recorded his newest Through The Mouth of the Beast (2020) over a period of 7 years, enlisting contributions from Jane Carver, Eddy Kwon, Mulatto Brown, Sonic Elf, Michael Abitz and Sophia Cunningham (Sleeping Sea), librarian Steve Kemple, Ben Sloan, Isaac Hand, Stephen Patota, and masterer Henry J. Wilson of Pop Empire.