Formed in 2009 by singer, guitarist and sampler Guy Connelly, the quartet also comprises Andy West on bass and guitar, Che Albrighton on drums, and Dan Armstrong on keyboards and vocals.

[3][6][7] Keyboardist Dan Armstrong, formerly of The Rushes, was another friend of Connelly's who was invited to join Clock Opera after attending one of their early gigs.

"[10] Clock Opera's debut single "White Noise" backed with "Alouette" was released on 7" vinyl by Pure Groove Records on 16 November 2009.

[22] In their review, the Sunday Times called Ways to Forget "one of the indisputable masterpieces of British pop in 2012" and Clock Opera "a band of rare sonic ambition and scope.

"[24] Conversely, BBC Music called it "a product of perfectionism, but one where mechanical process obscures its human presence,"[25] while The Guardian said the album "...can seem almost beautiful.

The music video for the single was directed by Ben Strebel and stars Alun Armstrong—father of keyboardist Dan Armstrong—along with Maggie O'Neill and Catherine Steadman.

[29] On 5 November 2015, the first track from the band's upcoming second LP, titled "Changeling", was premiered on DIY magazine's website and was co-produced and mixed by Kristofer Harris.

One of Clock Opera's earliest concerts was live accompaniment of a performance by the Rambert Dance Company at Queen Elizabeth Hall in May 2009.

[43] The Lost Buoys Tour in October and November 2012 covered Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, Ireland, Japan, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

[47] A signature of Clock Opera's live shows is the use of metal tankards and trays as percussion instruments during the song "A Piece of String.

This process is illustrated in a series of "Making of" videos showing, for example, how sounds including a tattoo needle, a washing machine and the buzzer on the game Operation were used in the song "White Noise.