This Will Destroy You self-recorded and self-produced their first EP, Young Mountain, in 2005. They intended it to be just a demo, and sold it as a CD-R after their concerts. The release was reviewed by a number of critics and was generally praised. The band was contacted by Magic Bullet Records owner Brent Eyestone over the internet and he asked them to contribute a track to his label's It Came From The Hills Vol. 1 compilation. The band sent Eyestone a copy of their demo to thank him, after which he invited them to tour with Sparrows Swarm and Sing. This Will Destroy You then began to work with Magic Bullet on the basis of a verbal agreement; in keeping with the labels DIY attitude, no written contract was ever signed. In June 2006 Magic Bullet re-packaged and re-released Young Mountain. The band began to gather mentions in more publications, including Pitchfork Media and Rolling Stone. A Sputnikmusic review said, "TWDY's sound is near perfect. Production wise, everything is right where it should be. Tone wise, it doesn't get much better. The quiet parts are tear jerking. The loud parts, while equally tear jerking, are brutal." The EP came in for particular praise from Rock Sound, who called it "an astonishingly beautiful work that promises a bright future"; editor Darren Taylor named it as the best release of 2006.
