And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out was recorded at Alex the Great in Nashville, Tennessee, and mixed at the Big House in Manhattan, New York City. Produced by Roger Moutenot, the album was released on February 22, 2000, by Matador Records. Its title is likely inspired by a Sun Ra quote: "...At first there was nothing...then nothing turned itself inside-out and became something." The album artwork features photographs by surrealist photographer and Yale professor Gregory Crewdson. It reached number 138 on the Billboard 200, marking the band's first appearance on the chart. As of January 2003, the album had sold 114,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.