After producing Bird Kit in Telluride in the spring of 2003, Peter returned to San Francisco full of inspiration. He produced The Early Years in three months in a cramped studio on Polk Street living off cheap Indian food. With styles ranging from drum'n'bass to avant garde jazz to hip-hop, the album shows a schitzophrentic set of influences.

The album is co-produced with Scott Eberhardt and features Steve Molitz, John Gray, Mark Wesson, Jorge Jackson, Art Link-Letterz, Ted O'Toole, Martha Pincoffs and Brett Joseph. After the release, Moped started perfoming live and with Scott on drums and Cripes! on visuals, the trio made their debut in the Fall of 2003.