The members of Noogie met while in high school in Sydney, Australia. The band includes vocalist guitarist Nick Hyde, drummer Chuck Ridler, guitarist Mike Jeffery, and bassist Alex Van Wensveen. Their name comes from a joke about a textbook (historically a treasure trove of band names). Their first four-track demo lead to an indie Australian deal. Then their songs "As Selfish As I Am" and "I'd Rather Float" were featured on local compilation CDs. The band, still unsigned to a major, performed on the same stage as Grinspoon, Fuel, the Whitlams, the Angels, Mental as Anything, an...