Trashcan Sinatras were formed in 1987 in the coastal town of Irvine, Scotland, by John Douglas, Paul Livingston, David Hughes, Stephen Douglas, and Francis Reader. Quickly signed to esteemed British indie label Go!Discs, the group used its label advance to set up their own recording studio, Shabby Road, in nearby Kilmarnock, where they settled in to create three critically- acclaimed albums.

The first of these, Cake, was released in the summer of 1990 and featured debut single "Obscurity Knocks" and its follow-up “Only Tongue Can Tell”, both of which became alternative radio hits in the USA, and introduced the group to what has become a loving and loyal fan base around the world. Their beloved second album, I've Seen Everything, came along in 1993, preceded by the lauded single “Hayfever.” The group’s next album, 1996’s self-produced A Happy Pocket, featured four singles, including the band’s much-loved cover of "To Sir, With Love".