While Georgia and the Carolinas were Southern hot spots for jangle pop, the Primitons demonstrated that there were great modern pop bands brewing in Alabama, too. The band formed in Birmingham in 1984. In 1985, the group recorded a self-titled seven-song EP produced by Mitch Easter. A 12" single, "Don't Go Away" b/w "Something on My Mind" and "Come What May," was released in 1986. In 1987, the Primitons released their first LP, Happy All the Time, but despite strong reviews the band struggled to expand its audience beyond a cult following, hampered by lackluster promotion and poor distribution of its recordings. The band broke up in 1990. In 2012, Arena Rock Records released Don't Go Away: Collected Works. ~ Mark Deming