Vocalist Sarah Nixey started out as a backup singer in the British folk outfit Balloon. During her stint in the band, she met ex-Jesus and Mary Chain drummer John Moore and ex-Auteurs singer Luke Haines, who in 1998 recruited Nixey for the moody indie ensemble Black Box Recorder. She worked with the band for about seven years before she got to work on her first solo album. Sing, Memory was released in 2007.