The Secret History is a New York-based indie pop/art rock group, formed in 2006 by songwriter Michael Grace Jr. and four other members from his previous group My Favorite, alongside vocalist Lisa Ronson (daughter of Mick Ronson.) Their first release was the Desolation Town EP in 2008, on the boutique indie label Le Grand Magistery.

The band's debut album, 2010's The World That Never Was (Le Grand Magistery), was an under-the-radar critical success, landing on best-of lists from Allmusic.com, Spectrum Culture and taste-making public radio station KEXP (in addition to cracking the CMJ Top 200 for college radio airplay overall.) It was also listed among the best records of the year by Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart in the NME.