Pale Horse and Rider was a short-lived collaboration between Jon DeRosa and Marc Gartman. The duo's musical journey began with the release of The Alcohol EPs in 2002, which featured various supporting performers including Nathan Amundson (Rivulets), Brian John Mitchell, and Aaron Molina. Their debut album, These are the New Good Times, was released on March 11, 2003, followed by Moody Pike on May 13, 2004. Both albums received critical acclaim from publications such as AllMusic and PopMatters, highlighting DeRosa's songwriting that blended urban and rural themes.