The group garnered attention initially by playing small shows in their home town and quickly grew to national and international fame due to their rising popularity on music blogs and websites.
The band was formed by vocalist and guitarist Rohin Jones circa 2005, intended initially as a way to spend the summer of 2005-2006 making music with friends.
[2][3] The band separated in 2008 after guitarist Jordan Ireland relocated to Europe, and reconvened in 2009 after his return to support Bill Callahan at Melbourne's Thornbury Theatre.
It went on to be featured in the films It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), Accidents Happen (2009), Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011) and A Perfect Pairing (2022).
With the release of The Recordings of the Middle East, Pitchfork offered a free download of the song "The Darkest Side" as a part of its weekly "Forkcast".
Records in early 2009, the band toured Australia extensively with fellow Spunk artist Emma Russack whilst continuing to write new music and undergoing several line-up changes.
2009 also saw The Middle East receive national airplay on Triple J and win the Australian radio station's Unearthed Artist Of The Year Award.
"[1] In March 2019, it was confirmed that the band would return for two nights only to perform at the Sydney Opera House as a part of Vivid Live to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spunk Records.
The band were joined by Jack Ladder, Holly Throsby, Machine Translations, The Ocean Party (playing their final show) and Emma Russack.
Pitchfork described some The Middle East songs as being " simple, finger-plucked acoustic affair with alternating and harmonizing vocals that lend the hushed track a sense of beleaguered hope".