Sun Kil Moon is the project of singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek, formed in 2002 in San Francisco following the dissolution of his previous band Red House Painters. The project name references Korean bantamweight boxer Sung-Kil Moon, a longtime fascination of Kozelek's. Kozelek chose the name change for commercial reasons, believing Red House Painters had lost momentum due to prolonged disputes over their final album release. Kozelek handles all writing, composing, singing, and guitar work, accompanied by drummer Anthony Koutsos (also from Red House Painters) and bassist Geoff Stanfield. The musical approach mirrors Red House Painters' style: primarily acoustic ballads with occasional electric guitar workouts influenced by Neil Young. The debut album Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003) established this template and outsold all previous Red House Painters releases. Subsequent albums including Tiny Cities (2005), a Modest Mouse cover album, and Benji (2014) maintained Kozelek's introspective songwriting, with Benji drawing particular critical attention for its personal narratives addressing family deaths and historical events.