Chant formed in the late 1980s in San Jose, Calif., as a four piece band, initially with a post-punk goth sound. Andy Shultz shared guitar with Beaux Davis. James Myrick was one of the first drummers. Bassist Larry Hamilton of Do the Hustle fame actually was among the early contributors as well.

By 1991, however, the band solidified as a three-piece alternative rock power trio with drummer Joe Nemcik and bassist Tom Harris joining Davis. The new rhythm section quickly drew comparisons to Rush but others aligned their sound as closer to The Cure. Unlike other bands in the 1990s, the group passed on distorted guitars in favor of Davis' more ethereal strums, a mixture of clean and delayed sounds. Over the decade, they would open for diverse acts such as The Church, Love and Rockets, Modern English, the Travis Larson band, the Psychedelic Furs, Craig Chaquico and Chris Isaak.

In 1994, the band released a five-song EP known as The Green Tape and, in 1998, joined the Shays Rebellion record label with the widely praised New Evolution, their first full-length album.

In 2005, the talented Harris, once featured in Bassist Magazine, passed away after being involved in a fatal motorcycle accident and was eventually replaced by Steve Torres. The band had been recording material for an album called A Place Where People Go to Dream at the time, working at Hyde Street Studios' historic D room where Shays Rebellion label owner and producer Mike Iacuessa had set up shop. Eventually, the 19 songs from that session, were released on two albums, the other entitled Floating Pebbles.