English power trio Black Foxxes combined '90s grunge and indie rock influences with early-2000s emo and alt-country elements to produce a visceral, emotive racket. The band was formed in Exeter, Devon by guitarist/vocalist Mark Holley, bassist Tristan Jane, and drummer Ant Thornton, three friends who had met at a young age through their membership in various bands in the city's thriving and close-knit music scene. They burst onto the scene in 2014, just a few months after forming, with their powerful, self-released debut EP Pines, influenced by the likes of Neil Young, Ryan Adams, Nirvana, and Radiohead. Praised by critics for its raw emotion and authenticity, the EP sold well, gaining them a wider fan base outside of their native West Country and they consolidated their success with heavy touring.

In 2015, the band signed to Universal subsidiary Spinefarm for the release of the single "Husk," a short, sharp grunge blast with an unsettling music video, which garnered rave reviews. High-profile sets at Reading and Download followed, before the 2016 announcement of their first album, I'm Not Well. In the title track single that preceded it, further '90s influences could be discerned, particularly that of Pearl Jam. Inspired by frontman Mark Holley's trip to Iceland in between records, Reiði, the band's sophomore effort, arrived in March 2018.