Playing ragged but energetic garage-influenced indie rock with the ferocity of punk but with a soulful, bluesy edge, the Noisettes were founded by guitarist Dan Smith and singer/bassist Shingai Shoniwa, who previously worked together in the band Sonarfly. While the pair already had a working relationship, in the spring of 2003 they began getting together to write songs, and their new project fell into place when they met drummer Jamie Morrison, whose manic approach matched Smith and Shoniwa's brash, physical style but also left room for the latter's diva-gone-wild vocals.