Leaf Hound is a blues/hard rock band formed in 1969 in London, UK under their original name, Black Cat Bones. Early incarnations of the Black Cat Bones featured guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke who both left to form Free. Black Cat Bones issued one album for Decca Records entitled Barbed Wire Sandwich. They replaced their vocalist shortly after releasing the album, adding Peter French to the line-up. Guitarist Rod Price departed soon after to join Foghat and French added his cousin Mick Halls on guitar. Soon after they changed their name to Leaf Hound. At this point the band consisted of Peter French on vocals, Mike Halls on guitar, Derek Brooks on guitar and his brother Stuart Brooks on drums and Keith George-Young on drums.

Growers of Mushroom was recorded at Spot Studios in Mayfair, London in late 1970. Shortly after the Brooks brothers departed and Ron Thomas filled in on bass. The band toured Europe as a four piece and released the Drowned My Life In Fear single and the Leaf Hound album in Germany on Telefunken. The Growers of Mushroom album was released shortly after (featuring all of the tracks on the self-titled album) but by this time French had already departed to join Atomic Rooster for their album In Hearing Of. French would also later join American hard rock band Cactus.