Mountain Battles

The Breeders released their previous album, Title TK, in 2002.^[12] The group's line-up then consisted of Kim Deal, her twin sister Kelley Deal, Richard Presley, Mando Lopez, and Jose Medeles;^[13] at the time, the group was based in Los Angeles.^[12][14] That year, the Deals began demoing songs for the band's next album,^[12][15] including "Regalame Esta Noche" and "No Way".^[15] Meanwhile, the group went on tour in the United States and Europe.^[16] The Deal sisters continued demoing songs the following year.^[12] In 2004, Kim Deal's previous band, Pixies, embarked on a reunion tour,^[16][17] and Kelley also traveled with the group.^[18] While on the tour, the sisters worked on "Walk It Off"^[12][15]—footage of them going through the song is included on the Pixies' loudQuietloud DVD.^[18] Around this time, Kim and Kelley moved from Los Angeles back to their hometown of Dayton, Ohio,^[14] and continued working on new compositions there,^[19] including "Bang On" and "Night of Joy", which came about in the spring of 2007.^[15] When developing the songs for Mountain Battles, both sisters collaborated on the arrangements.^[18][20] Only Kim, who wrote the lyrics, received songwriting credits,^[18] although Kelley was accorded some royalties.^[18]

During the period of 2002 to 2007—concurrently with the Deals' writing and demoing—the Breeders attended sessions with a number of engineers to record the album.^[21] These comprised sessions at Electrical Audio in Chicago with Steve Albini, and recording in Los Angeles and Refraze Recording Studios in Dayton Ohio with engineers including Erika Larsen, Manny Nieto, and Ben Mumphrey.^[22] By this time, Presley had left the group to sell luxury cars,^[21] so the Breeders consisted of the Deal twins, Lopez, and Medeles.^[21][22]

Mountain Battles takes on "primitive" art punk amidst a "raw, sparse" lo-fi sound.^[9][23]

The Japanese release contains the following bonus track:^[22]

The Mountain Battles liner notes list the following personnel who helped make the album; the liner notes do not mention which instruments the Deal sisters, Lopez, and Medeles played.^[22]