Babel Fish were influenced by artists such as The Beatles, Crowded House, and Kate Bush; they were a classic four-piece and their songs emphasized melodies, vocal harmonies, and catchy guitar riffs, featuring a production which combined a classic sound and some less frequent elements, such as Mellotron and recorded vocal samples.
The 1996 single "Light of Day" was released under the name Daily Planet, one year after the band had signed up with Waterfall Productions.
As they were informed that a Swedish band had already been using that name, the group decided on the current name, inspired by the incredible Babel fish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books by Douglas Adams.
The band pitched "Light of Day" and "Mania" to international labels, and when Atlantic Records picked them up, their first album Babel Fish was already half finished.
One year later, however, the band felt sidelined as attention from the record company had diminished, and legal battles ensued to get out of the contract with Atlantic.