In the late 1970s, brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson grew up on their family’s 1,600-acre farm in Fruitland, Washington, where their father, Don Emerson Sr., nurtured their musical aspirations. He built them a $100,000 recording studio, The Practice Place, where they self-produced and released Dreamin' Wild in 1979, blending rock, soul, R&B, country, and funk. The album initially went unnoticed, and Donnie pursued a solo career, recording Can I See You in 1981 (unreleased) and releasing Whatever It Takes in 1997.
In 2008, record collector Jack Fleischer rediscovered Dreamin' Wild, leading to its 2012 reissue by Light in the Attic Records. That year, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti covered "Baby", sparking new interest. The brothers followed up with Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979–81 in 2014. Their story inspired the 2022 film Dreamin' Wild, bringing their music to a wider audience decades later.
