The group was formed in 1999 by lead vocalist Kirsten Morrell and guitarist Geoff Maddock, who brought in Joel Wilton and Ben King from other projects to found the initial lineup.

[1] The albums spawned charting singles including "Maybe Tomorrow" which became the most played local song on radio in 2003,[3][1] "Wake Up Brother", and "Out of the Moon".

In 2007 following a European tour, the band released Reporter, their final album to date, which briefly entered the top 40 charts at 38.

Now with a bigger budget and more resources, the group worked with veteran producer Murray Grindlay on the project, describing the process as a stark contrast to the difficulty of recording Riverhead.

[1] Their studio dynamic had also been influenced by the addition of guitarist Andrew Clark,[1] and saw the introduction of Ben Collier and Vincent Hine into the mix.

[7] The album was recorded in Roundhead Studios with sound engineer Clint Murphy and producer Phil Vinall, the latter known for working with Radiohead and Placebo among other big acts.

[19] Wilton, who had formerly been a science and chemistry teacher, returned to study and subsequently became the principle of Havelock North High School.

[10][9] In 2016, Morrell flew in from London to reunite with Goldenhorse for a one-off performance at an event in honour of Hone Tuwhare at Opera House in Wellington.