Econoline Crush formed in 1992 via founding members Trevor Hurst, Tom Ferris, Chris Meyers, Robbie Morfitt, and Dan Yaremko. The lineup has changed numerous times, with Hurst as the only consistent member throughout the band's existence (although Morfitt, Yaremko, Ziggy Sigmund, Adam Percy, and Graham Tuson are members who had multiple stints in the band).

The Purge Demo was the band's first release in 1993. The band then signed with EMI Canada and released Purge in 1994, followed by Affliction in 1995. Their mainstream breakthrough came in 1997 via The Devil You Know. After the release of Brand New History in 2001, the band entered a hiatus the following year. The band reformed, with Hurst at the helm, in 2006. The Ignite album was released in 2008, followed by The People Have Spoken in 2011. Sigmund died in 2022, prior to the release of When the Devil Drives in 2023.