In 2011, out of the ashes of Winnipeg buzz band The Morning after, singer/songwriter Jean-Guy Roy quietly rose from the depths of his basement's cold storage room to record a new collection of songs with award winning engineer/producer, Cam Loeppky (Weakerthans, Imaginary Cities, Cannon Bros). The result was "Carbon", a six song EP that was met with immediate praise nation wide with the Toronto Star calling it"quietly electric, emotionally unguarded, and so thick with regret, you'd need a hoe to cut through it."

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From there 2012 saw Federal Lights tour the country playing festivals and opening for acts like Imaginary Cities, Rah Rah, and the Great Lake Swimmers. The band also received an APCMA nomination for Rock Album of the Year and performed on the nationally syndicated APTN series Arbor Live.

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In 2013, the band signed with Toronto's Aporia Records for the August release of the full length We Were Found In The Fog. Engineered by Loeppky and produced by Rusty Matyas (Imaginary Cities), the album sees the band at its sharpest. The hooks are more refined, the lyrics more precise and Roys timeless, resonant voice is as clear as a bright blue Prairie sky. From the propulsive, handclap pop of I See Love to the rolling, Wilco-approved Americana of Skyline,We Were Found In The Fog has a comforting warmth about it. Hailed by the CBC as a Top 15 Canadian record to be heard. The album's first two singles "I See Love" and "Cobra" both debuted at the No. 1 spot on the CBC Radio 3's Top 30.

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With the release of We Were Found In The Fog the band has performed at all kinds of music festivals, showcased from SXSW to NXNE, and toured both Canada and Europe. Their 3 performances at the famous Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany led to a successful 12 date European tour in 2014 and were featured in major European music magazines such as the Rolling Stone and Intro who stated, "What makes this LP so good is its spirited performance and variety." From Europe they returned home just in time to receive a Western Canadian Music Award.

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2016 saw the release of the band’s follow-up album, Coeur de Lion, which again charted on CBC Radio 3 and College radio. The album was met with critical praise with Europe’s Terrorverlag stating “Coeur de Lion eschews grand pathos and excessive pomp, finding precisely the right balance for magnificent music with depth, emotion, and lightness.” 

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And now, the spring of 2026 will see the band’s 3rd release, Celebration of Failure, recorded and produced by the band at Trappist’s Studio. Mixed and Mastered by the award winning John Paul Peters (Cancer Bats, Propagandhi, Royal Canoe), the album sees the band exploring the dark corners of life taking the listener through the album's emotional journey.