Billy Oskay was born and raised in Kingston, New York, where he first learned to play the violin at the age seven.
They composed and recorded some songs in Oskay's Portland, Oregon home and were pleased with the unique understated sound they had created, which had a "rough but fresh quality that engendered a serene atmosphere".
In 1987, Oskay and Ó Domhnaill were joined by Mícheál's sister, Irish pianist and vocalist Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, and Irish-American flutist Brian Dunning to found the musical group Nightnoise.
The group toured the world and recorded three additional albums: Something of Time (1987), At the End of the Evening (1988), and The Parting Tide (1990).
[3] Since 2000 Oskay has produced numerous musical artists at his Big Red Studio in Corbett, including Drum Hat Buddha (2001) by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Blu di Genova (2003) by Beppe Gambetta, and Renaissance of the Steel-String Guitar (2004) by Dan Crary.