Heatmiser was an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon, in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith, Neil Gust, Brandt Peterson and Tony Lash, they were known for their well-crafted lyrics and songs often featuring the juxtaposition of melancholic and cheery words and melodies. The pop-oriented songs of Elliott Smith were a contrast to the darker songs of Neil Gust, while both Smith's and Gust's songs touched on subjects such as anger, alienation, loneliness and despair.