ðə bˈænd wʌz fˈɔːɹmd baɪ θɹˈiː fˈɔːɹmɚ mˈɛmbɚz ʌv fɹˈɛndz ɐɡˈɛn sˈɪŋɚsˈɔŋɹaɪɾɚ ænd ɡɪtˈɑːɹɹɪst dʒˈeɪmz ɡɹˈænt, dɹˈʌmɚ stˈuːɚt kˈɛɹ ænd kˈiːboːɹdˌɪst pˈɔːl mə dʒˈiːtʃən ɐlˈɔŋ wɪð bˈeɪsɪst bˈɑːbi pˈæɾɚsən, hˌuː ɹᵻplˈeɪst fɹˈɛndz ɐɡˈɛnz nˈiːl kˈʌnɪŋˌæm ænd hˌuː hɐdbɪn ɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌv sˈɛt ðə tˈoʊn, ɐ bˈænd pɹˈiːviəsli sˈaɪnd tʊ ˈaɪlənd ɹˈɛkɚdz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː.
The band was formed by three former members of Friends Again (singer-songwriter and guitarist James Grant, drummer Stuart Kerr and keyboardist Paul McGeechan) along with bassist Bobby Paterson, who replaced Friends Again's Neil Cunningham and who had been a member of Set the Tone, a band previously signed to Island Records in 1983.