The duo followed Hello up by their debut full-length studio album, Pulses (2014), which saw less commercial success, and was supplemented by the single "Acapella." Following the conclusion of promotion for Pulses, Karmin left Epic Records and began releasing music independently. They released a slew of singles from 2014 to 2016 in anticipation of a second studio album. These included "Sugar", "Yesterday", "Along the Road", "Didn't Know You", and "Come With Me (Pure Imagination)". In 2016, Karmin released the Sugar EP in collaboration with Wild Culture. It features three remixes of "Sugar" and a remix of Riley Pearce's single "Brave". The duo released their second studio album, Leo Rising, on September 9, 2016.