The Field was born at the poker table actually....... 

THE FIELD is James Ratcliff and Nathan Shallenberger. 

Ratcliff and Shallenberger met at mutual friends house attending a poker tournament post hand shake and brandy flask bond, they were pals. After invited that day to play some cards at Ratcliffs home (which was at the time a ten deep waiting list line to sit at the table) Shallenberger noticed during the game some guitar cases long since covered in dust and dared to ask...... 

Upon first jam session, nothing special but the next time songs started to fall out with ease. For the lions share of the sessions playing off of each other came easy as did the first arrangement then through time the arrangements turned back into jams.