The Sleepy Jackson surfaced in the late 1990s in Perth’s northern suburbs when a guy called Luke Steele got himself a band. With brother Jesse on drums and Matt O’Connor on bass, the band produced a self-titled EP and Miniskirt, their first single.

After signing to EMI, Steele went through several lineup changes before settling on Malcolm Clark (drums), Rodney Aravena (bass) and Justin Burford (guitar). Clark, Aravena and Burford, along with with Jonathon Dudman, had another band on the go at the time, the little-known End of Fashion.

With the new lineup, Steele recorded the Let Your Love Be Love EP, which put the band back on course. Constant touring around the country followed, before Aravena and Burford left the band midway through the tour. Dudman, also known as J Cortez, made the switch from End of Fashion to take over on bass duties, while Ben Nightingale joined as guitarist. The new-look band performed as opening act on Silverchair’s Diorama tour, as well as promoting Lovers, the band’s debut album, which was released in July 2003.

As the revolving door-style lineup changes continued, Steele and Clark found themselves alone as they began work on the much-anticipated follow-up record. Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird) was released midway through 2006 and showcased a well-rounded sound that drew heavily from the symphonic pop of acts like Brian Wilson and Beck.