[1] TOI was born in 2007 when interior designer and visual artist Mei Tayengco took up the idea of introducing singer Pauline Diaz to guitarist Patrick Tirano, to see if their musical approaches were compatible.

At that point, Diaz was already a writer and television show host and Tirano was already a sound engineer and producer at Wombworks Recording Studio in Marikina, and was already doing gigs with other bands.

Later that year, bassist Miks Bersales and drummer Archie Asistores of Salamin, another Filipino indie act,[4] were recruited to play regularly with TOI.

These included Rommel Sanchez backing Tirano up on Guitar, Razorback's Louie Talan on bass, and Pupil's Wendell Garcia on Drums, a supporting lineup that the band has referred to as "The Dream Team.

“We just like what we do," Tirano said in an interview with Fully Booked Magazine,[1] "keeping the music in our heads until it naturally spills out.” Diaz adds that "TOI and our collaboration with other artists was never perceived as work, we have our day jobs for that."