They were notable for their cross-pollination of various musical forms (including indie rock, art rock, post-rock, jazz, Latin and out-rock), their links with British post-rock band Rothko, their activities in promoting the London underground music scene of the early 2000s, and for establishing the brief-lived but well-regarded indie record label Day Release.
At various times, the band cited influences including Mogwai, Cocteau Twins, Low, art rock from 1990s Chicago (such as Tortoise and The For Carnation) and Montreal (Godspeed You!
At the time, the band was still very much in an art-rock/indie rock vein, sporting an abrasive edge, relatively simple rhythms, Version's heavily distorted guitar and Ross singing in an incantatory tone reminiscent of Patti Smith.
[1] Heartened by the positive audience reception in Glasgow, Ross and Version returned to London and began recording their debut album, Our Genome, as a duo.
It displayed a much-evolved band sound – more cohesive and dynamic, and considerably quieter, with added instrumentation (including horns) on several tracks.
Adding trumpeter Jo Wright to the line-up, Delicate AWOL toured America during the summer of 2001 and returned to play the fifth Terrastock festival (this time in Boston) in October.
The band's second album, Heart Drops From The Great Space was released on Fire Records the same year and was accompanied by the 12-inch vinyl EP Time And Motion Studies Deep Underground.
This was apparently an attempt to escape urban pressures, to liberate their musical creativity (including Version's burgeoning career as a sound engineer and producer) and to get more involved in both community activity and the band's other love - visual art.
While maintaining her links with Delicate AWOL, Jo Wright had already left the active lineup: she was shortly followed by bass player Donnelly.
[4] Ross and Version quietly dissolved Delicate AWOL shortly after their last performance, having found that their new compositions were unsuited to the restrictions of a settled band.
Returning to London and the south-east, Ross joined the live band of experimental folk musician Woodpecker Wooliams in 2009, singing and playing flute, glockenspiel, omnichord, cheese-grater and other instrument and items.
[5] Regarding the other former members of Delicate AWOL, Michael Donelly would return to London and continue as part of the second and third lineups of Rothko, while Tom and Ben Page would form the improvising instrumental duo Rocketnumbernine (working both solo and with artists such as Neneh Cherry).