Originally comprising Viv Strachan (vocals), Gordon McIntyre (guitar), Nick Reynolds (bass) and Alexis Beattie (drums), Ballboy played gigs around Edinburgh for a few years, and recorded tracks for the Edinburgh indie compilation it's a life sentence..., released by the newly formed SL Records label in 1997.

[2] Their "proper" debut album, A Guide for the Daylight Hours,[3] was released in November 2002, featuring artwork by Glasgow-based artist David Shrigley.

The band continue to play live occasionally and released their fourth studio album I Worked on the Ships in August 2008.

[5] From their early releases, the band were popular with the DJ John Peel,[6] and had several tracks featured in the Festive Fifty charts.

In Autumn 2008 McIntyre composed the soundtrack for the Traverse Theatre Company production of Midsummer [a play with songs] by David Greig.