In early 2003, Sam James (guitar and vocals), Twm Champagne (drums) and Eifion Austin (bass) met and formed The Poppies in Aberystwyth.
They quickly gained support from Radio 1 DJ's Huw Stephens[2] and Bethan Elfyn and often appeared on S4C's Welsh language music programme Bandit.
[3] During 2005, the band recorded a Maida Vale session for Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 1 programme and released the Dau Bys EP on the Ciwdod label.
Copies of the magazine (which had photos of the band on the cover) were then ritually burned at the National Eisteddfod annually, as this level of betrayal is hard to forgive and memories live long in the principality.
Failing to secure a recording contract the band began to gig less as James toured as bassist with The Heights, Gethin concentrated on his jazz studies and Eifion's played bass for The Spencer McGarry Season.