To get acquainted, Survive This! is vocalist Shawn Zyvoloski, his cousin on drums Billy Sanderson, childhood friend/guitarist Daniel Ingram, and bassist Doug Horn. The band played together as teenagers and formally came into existence in 2009 with the addition of guitarist AJ Veloz. After cutting their teeth playing shows in Pahrump, Nevada, Survive This! relocated to Las Vegas. Vegas is also where they met Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke who has become a vocal supporter of the band. He produced the album and lent his famous pipes to the song "Wrong Direction (Hey You)". Ronnie Radke says:

The Life You've Chosen takes the band's diverse musical interests, from Justin Timberlake to Underoath, and combines them into an incredibly catchy amalgamation. Maybe most impressive is the fact that Survive This! can successfully merge chaotic chugging with soaring choruses with neither part sounding out of place. Then there are the electronic flourishes and accents that help take the album to the next level sonically and emotionally. Oh, and the band's knack for crafting innovative breakdowns doesn't hurt either.