Castilla and Tuttle met while performing in the band Paper Thin Walls, who rose to notoriety after being chosen to play the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London. The name "The Colourist" was borne out of a conversation with a friend of the band—a film student who was working with a film colorist at the time. Because the name was not already used, the ensemble decided to use the British/Canadian spelling for aesthetic and availability reasons.

After years of performing concerts in their home town, the ensemble captured the eyes of major record labels during their residency at Los Angeles' Bootleg Theater. In July 2012, the band signed a record contract with Universal Republic Records.

In 2013, The Colourist starred in a national commercial and ad campaign for Nokia, which aired on primetime television for 3 months. The commercial featured the band playing their single "Little Games" to a packed audience at LA's Opheum Theater.

On May 21, 2014, The Colourist appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to perform their second single "We Won't Go Home"

In October 2015, Tuttle recorded the song "Back 2 U" with Raeko (the alter ego of Jason Suwito from Sir Sly).

On December 18, 2016, the group announced Tuttle's departure from the band.