Their parents, singer Nóirín Ní Riain and composer and pianist Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, taught the duo from an early age to respect music.

Owen (born Eoin) Ó Súilleabháin, the eldest of the brothers first recorded professionally alongside Sinéad O'Connor, Nóirín Ní Riain, poet John O'Donohue, and the Monks of Glenstal Abbey on the album Biscantorat in 2003.

In 2005, he became Orchestral Manager for the World Youth Orchestra in Rome and toured with them through Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jordan and Amman for both Israeli and Palestinian audiences.

He sang and played bodhrán with The Chieftains at Belfast Festival at Queens in 2007 and is an expert in beatbox techniques, which introduced him to Bobby McFerrin with whom he has recorded.

A live performance in Dublin in October 2008, which invited Julie Feeney as a guest singer, drew comparisons with "Simon & Garfunkel and Steely Dan unplugged".