The eighth full-length studio release for the alternative rock band is its first studio album in seven years. Frontman Jonathan Donahue addressed the gap between albums in a press release: "It was one of those otherworldly life sequences, when everything you think is solid turns molten, but also, when something is worth saying, it can take a long time to say it, rather than just blurt it out."
On the title, Donahue said, "You can go as deep as you want with the title, on a metaphorical, spiritual level, or just poetic license. It's the beacon that shines and allows us to see ourselves – and then there's the music between Grasshopper and I, which is how we reflect each other. The arc of the album, lyrically, is someone who's gone through an incredible period of turbulence, sadness and uncertainty, and as the album progresses, a light appears on the water."
Mercury Rev - Are You Ready? (Official Music Video)