ROOTDOWN was formed the first day of summer in 2007, combining elements or rock, reggae, and hip-hop. In May 2011, the band released their first full-length CD, Tidal Wave, attracting attention from major record companies and resulted in showcases in Hollywood and New York City. Their song "All I Wanna Do" received national radio airplay across the country and was selected by Clear Channel's I Heart Radio contest to perform on national television during the MDA Telethon from Las Vegas September 2011. The band remained independent.

Tidal Wave features ten songs co-produced by Grammy-winning producer Christopher Stevens (TobyMAC, Paul Wright, Carrie Underwood). The songs were recorded and co-produced by Kelsey Smith at Downbeat Sounds in Vancouver, WA, and mixed at FABMUSIC by Christopher and Taylor Stevens in Nashville, TN.

ROOTDOWN was the top booking band at NACA West in 2009 and worked hard touring the U.S. playing at over fifty college campuses. They played over 150 shows in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, they signed with The Agency Group -- a booking agency based out of Los Angeles, CA -- and also released another EP, Grown In Oregon.