Heatmiser was an American alternative rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith, Neil Gust, Brandt Peterson and Tony Lash, they were known for their well-crafted lyrics and songs often featuring the juxtaposition of melancholic and cheery words and melodies. The pop-oriented songs of Neil Gust were a contrast to the darker songs of Elliott Smith, while both Smith and Gust's songs touched on subjects such as anger, alienation, loneliness and despair.