Leo Abrahams is a Royal Academy graduate, a collaborator of Brian Eno, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, David Holmes, Regina Spektor, Jon Hopkins and Paul Simon, and a filmscore composer. He has released numerous solo albums and is listed with production, performance and arrangement credits on countless more. Shahzad Ismaily plays a host of instruments - guitar, electric and double bass, banjo, accordion, flute, drums and electronic instruments. He is a member of Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog band as well as Secret Chiefs 3 and Ex Eye (with Colin Stetson and Greg Fox). His list of collaborators is astonishing. It includes Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, John Zorn, Laraaji, Laura Veirs, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Marianne Faithfull, Elvis Costello, Feist, Bryce Dessner, Dustin O'Halloran, Nels Cline, Bill Frisell, Oren Ambarchi, Damien Rice, JFDR among countless more.

Interestingly, the two musicians had featured on many of the same recordings without ever having met. Eventually they crossed paths in London and over the course of the next year, whenever they found themselves in the same city, they would take an hour to improvise together.