Heatmiser was an American alternative rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith (guitar and vocals), Neil Gust (guitar and vocals), Brandt Peterson (bass; later to be replaced by Sam Coomes, frontman of Quasi) and Tony Lash (drums), 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.