Coffin Break was formed in Seattle in the late 1980s, during the time that grunge was beginning to catch on; however, the group eschewed the nascent alternative sound, taking their influences from punk rock. The group released its first two full-length albums and a compilation on C/Z Records. Signing to Epitaph Records, they released two further albums in 1991 and 1992 before disbanding in 1993. Both bassist Rob Skinner and guitarist Peter Litwin wrote songs for the group, and the group's releases show a marked difference between their songwriting styles. Kurt Cobain mentioned the group as one of his favorite bands.