"understanding what we've grown to be" was recorded during two sessions, the first being from february 16 through march 10, 2011, and the second being from may 16 through june 23, 2011. on june 22, the first single <nowiki>"mis//understanding"</nowiki> surfaced through equal vision' official youtube channel. a day later, the title track was also released for free listening. <nowiki>"mis//understanding"</nowiki> was released as an official single on itunes on july 5, 2011, which included "understanding what we've grown to be" as a bonus track. on july 14, 2011, the album's cover art was released via puzzle on the band's homepage. by august 2011, the record's production was completed and distribution began shortly. on august 22, 2011, the length of each song was announced.