Based in Milwaukee, Citizen King mix hip-hop, soul and punk in a style much like Fishbone (who they've toured with) on their 1995 debut album Brown Bag. Guitarist Kristian Riley, vocalist Matt Sims, pianist Dave Cooley and turntable expert Malcolm Michiles formed Citizen King in 1993 after their previous band Wild Kingdom broke up. Local praise for the group's live show caught the ear of Arrested Development's Speech, who produced several tracks on Brown Bag. After the five-song EP Count the Days and shows with Fishbone, Citizen King played at Austin's South by Southwest convention. Executives at the major-label subsidiary 510 were impressed, and signed the band; Count the Days followed in 1996, and they returned in 1999 with Mobile Estates.