The Jackson Code were formed in 1988 in Perth as a country, folk four-piece by Kenny Davis Jr on accordion and keyboards; Jason Kain on guitar (ex-Wet Taxis, Chad's Tree), Mark Snarski (a.k.a.
[2][3] From September 1988, Snarski started writing non-Chad Tree material, which included tracks working with Kain and Wemyss, "Kerosene", "Joe's Flame", "Bringer of Light", "Strange Lullaby" and "Hotel Stationery".
[2][4] In 1991, Snarski described their early performances: It actually started out one night when Mathew De La Hunty asked me if I'd support Tall Tales and True as a solo act; and I thought 'Ohh, no, what I'll do is rope in Jason and Kenny.'
It was actually Jason, Kenny and myself who played the first night and we roped in Kathy for the second night.Snarski had relocated to Sydney and for the band's debut album, Del Musical Del Mismo Nombre, he used the previously written material and added Mark Dawson on drums, Amanda Pearson on vocals and percussion and Barry Turnbull on bass guitar.
[2] According to Casimir they took inspiration for its "self-styled urban Romantic Cabaret" from German writers Brecht and Weill, as well as Tom Waits.
[2] Davis Jnr, Kain, Snarski and Wemyss were joined in the studio by Dawson, Pearson and Turnbull, together with string, brass and hand-clap sections.
[6] The Canberra Times' Rebecca Lang praised Wemyss' "riveting" vocals on "Trap the Light" and "Lucifer's Polka" and Snarski's lyrics "dubbed 'aural film noir,'>"[6] Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noticed Snarski's "melodramatic vignettes, detailing a range of emotions and shady characters.
After touring with American crime writer James Ellroy in 1996, Snarski left Australia for Europe eventually settling in Madrid.
[14] The Jackson Code's "Everybody's Got Something to Lose" was used in the Australian television series Heartbreak High Season 1, Episode 9 "Family Addition" in April 1994.