Started in 2004 in London, Sleeping States falls predominantly in the songwriter genre.
Sleeping States has also been associated with Lo-Fi,[1] DIY and Queercore, having released a number of 7"s, cassette-only EPs and a CD-R album on several small DIY labels in Britain, including the Queercore label/collective Homocrime and Tome Records (now a record shop in Hackney).
[2][3] 2008 saw Sleeping States play Wireless Festival and tour with Noah and the Whale.
[4] Starkie played briefly in another band, Barton Carriages 2014-2016, resulting in a short album of recordings.
[5] After a period of low activity, Starkie revived Sleeping States in 2017 for a short UK tour to mark ten years since the release of There The Open Spaces.