Uzi and Ari was formed by Ben Shepard (Photographed, far right) in 2003. Shepard had been involved in another group, Oriental Half Price, in Dallas, Texas where he attended high school. He left the band in 2001 to live in Santiago, Chile for two years, and returned to the United States in 2003, relocating to Utah, where he began playing with assorted musicians under the name Uzi and Ari. The band takes its name from the children of Ben Stiller's character in the movie The Royal Tenenbaums, and does not refer to any members of the band (Uzi and Ari was never a duo, as is sometimes mistakenly assumed).

After a short stint in California, Shepard and (then member of the group) Cade Thalman traveled to Shepard's hometown of Dallas, Texas, where they recorded the band's first album, Don't Leave in Such a Hurry, with some local musicians. The album was self-financed and had a limited release, although it was well-reviewed, notably by indie website Music (For Robots), who proclaimed it a "wonderful little album."

The band played mainly local shows in Salt Lake City following Don't Leave in Such a Hurry, with various members of the band coming and going. Shepard continued working on new material, and for the new album chose to record in Utah at the studio of Salt Lake's Crying Girl Records. Crying Girl is a small label run by Blake Henderson of another Utah-based indie group, TaughtMe. Because of its low key nature, Shepard was able to work on Uzi and Ari's second album for a number of months in Henderson's studio, rather than purchasing recording time in a block as he had done for Don't Leave in Such a Hurry. Shepard recorded through the winter of 2005-06, releasing teaser tracks at the band's website, which helped create a large online fan base. Finally, in April 2006 the new album It is Freezing Out was released, featuring cover art work by renowned painter Thrush Holmes (also known as "Truman Couture" and "Herman Weiss") who has since used the song "Don't Black Out" in his promotions.

It is Freezing Out featured a different side of the band, including electronic beats, softer sounds, more ambient noise, and stronger vocals from Shepard. Where Don't Leave in Such a Hurry is loud and emotional, It is Freezing Out is more subdued and anguished, featuring songs about failed relationships, inner turmoil, and even a lullaby. The second album was also received well, with one review describing it as "a rich, dense album filled with tiny, quiet moments worthy of careful attention and full engagement."

The band toured the western United States in promotion of this album, playing mainly small venues in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Tijuana, Texas, Kansas and Colorado. Following the tour Shepard was contacted by the European label Own Records, which had first heard of the group through an online french review of the first album. Own offered to serve as the European distributor of Uzi and Ari, beginning with the band's second album, and to help finance a European tour, which the band will do in the beginning of 2007.

Brave Morning will release It is Freezing Out on vinyl in the summer of 2007.