In May 2004, bassist Karl Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent treatment. Karl Mueller’s diagnosis hastened the band’s resolve to commit another album together. His insistence on finishing the record became the driving force behind (and in front of) its completion.
Karl Mueller recorded his last Soul Asylum album that year (2006\'s The Silver Lining). However, the cancer later returned, and he died at his home on June 17, 2005.
