Blakey met Lamm when she attended a Hazeldine show in Chapel Hill, and soon all three were friends.

[1] They first began singing together in 1999; their first performance was an impromptu singalong at an Alejandro Escovedo show in a Raleigh bar.

[3] They occasionally performed live, and recorded some of their material more for historical interest than with the intent of releasing it.

Producer Chris Stamey heard the tapes and asked the group to release a full album; the result was Sweetwater, their 2004 debut for Yep Roc.

The album was recorded in London with producers Neil Brockbank (Nick Lowe, Bryan Ferry, Tanita Tikaram) and Robert Trehern (Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler), and featured appearances by Nick Lowe, Geraint Watkins, and Bill Kirchen.