They met whilst studying on Newcastle University's Folk and Traditional Music course in 2005, where Kearney was awarded the Alan Hull prize for songwriting.
[3] The EP, released in May 2010 on Rabble Rouser Records, comprised largely their own compositions with a rearrangement of one traditional song, and met with effusive reviews from The Guardian,[1] Uncut, Q Magazine and MTV.
The intimacy of the duo's sound is still at the heart of the record, but is fleshed out at times by Adrian McNally (Unthanks) on piano, Dean Ravera on double bass, Chris Hibbard on trombone, Paul Ruddick on saxophone and clarinet and Peter Tickell (Peatbog Fairies, Sting, Kathryn Tickell Band) on fiddle.
The duo also contributed to a range of other people's work, including viola and vocals from Farrell on Emily Portman's album The Glamoury.
Kearney played piano on The Unthanks' autumn 2011 tour of Robert Wyatt and Antony Hegarty songs.