The Bacon Brothers earned considerable attention long before they ever released an album; singer/guitarist Kevin Bacon already enjoyed a successful career as one of the most prolific screen actors of his generation, with starring performances in films including Diner, Footloose, JFK, The River Wild and Apollo 13. He originally formed the Bacon Brothers with his singer/guitarist brother Michael in 1994 to perform at a charity event in their hometown of Philadelphia, although the two siblings' collaborative musical history in fact dated back to their childhood; while Kevin later explored acting, Michael forged his own musical career fronting the 1970s folk-rock band Good News, subsequently recording a pair of solo albums.

He then moved into composing for film and television, earning an Emmy Award for his score for the documentary The Kennedys. Following their 1994 formation, the Bacon Brothers (rounded out by bassist Paul Guzzone and drummer Marshal Rosenberg) took their country-folk sound on the road, garnering much media notice on the strength of the siblings' pre-existing notoriety; they issued their debut LP, Forosoco, in late 1997. Getting There followed two years later; Can't Complain appeared in summer 2001.The brothers released Live: The No Food Jokes Tour in 2003, a two-disc set that featured nineteen performances, as well as an in-depth interview with Michael and Kevin. White Nuckles arrived in 2005 on the SpinArt label.