Begun in the late '90s as an outlet for the thoughtful and introspective songs of vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Katy Davidson, Dear Nora slowly grew into a highly influential presence on the folkier side of indie rock. Initially Davidson recorded three albums and a handful of singles as Dear Nora before retiring the name in 2008 and working on other projects, but a 2017 reissue of their second album garnered enough attention to reactivate the Dear Nora name and record new material like 2022's Human Futures.

Dear Nora was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1999 with Davidson acting as principle songwriter and bandleader and former Wolf Colonel members Marianna Ritchey and Ryan Wise on drums and bass, respectively. The band name was a loving reference to their Lewis & Clark College music professor Nora Beck. Dear Nora's earliest material was fuzzy and tuneful twee pop, tenuously linked to the "cuddle core" micro-movement that included bands like Cub, Heavenly, All Girl Summer Fun Band and the like. This fast and fizzy style quickly softened into a gentler folk sound on 2001 full-length debut We'll Have a Time, which was recorded and produced by Amy Linton of the Aislers Set. Davidson relocated to the Bay Area and continued Dear Nora with a cast of various players, touring frequently and releasing albums like 2004's Mountain Rock and 2006's There Is No Home, as well as an EP and splits with Mates of State and What the Kids Want. In 2008 (now stationed in Los Angeles,) Davidson retired the Dear Nora moniker, though they continued making music under the name Key Losers and also collaborated with sometime-bandmate Marianna Ritchey on 2008 one-off album Just as God Made Us, released under the name Lloyd and Michael. 2008 also saw the release of the massive, 50-plus song collection Three States: Rarities 1997-2007, a compilation of Dear Nora material from out of print 7"s and other ephemeral recordings. In 2012, tribute compilation THIS IS THE TIME FOR IT was released, gathering cover versions of Davidson-penned songs as recorded by Mount Eerie, Mega Bog, Anna Oxygen, and many others. Dear Nora's impact on the indie community was further verified when the project's 2004 album Mountain Rock was reissued in 2017, reminding some longtime fans of how complex and beautiful this phase of Davidson's work was, while offering an entry point to many new fans. The critical and commercial response was strong, and Davidson re-formed Dear Nora with new members, touring once more for the first time in nearly a decade. This momentum continued with the release of 2018's Skulls Example, the fourth Dear Nora record and first full-length album of new studio material since 2006. Fifth album Human Futures was released in 2022, with production that explored an expanded instrumental palette and songs that took various approaches to arrangement. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi