Phillips began touring as a solo act after Toad the Wet Sprocket broke up, and worked with producer Ethan Johns to create his first solo album, Albulum. Glen Phillips says it took a "ridiculously long time" to create; it was finally released in April of 2001 on Brick Red Records. Phillips has also collaborated on several songs with bluegrass band Nickel Creek and toured with them for the last half of 2001. He released Live at Largo in In 2003, followed by Winter Pays for Summer in 2005, a collection of new material that featured guest appearences from ex-Jellyfish front man Andy Sturmer, Ben Folds, Kristin Mooney, Jon Brion, and Semisonic/Trip Shakespeare scribe Dan Wilson. ~ Laurel Greenidge, All Music Guide