Pop never dies, it just finds various fun forms to mutate into. The Lollies embrace that particular principle, tackling everything from girl group sass to Britpop irony and distilling it through wickedly funny lyrics and self-described "indie sugary" sound. Born and raised in London, the group came into being at the start of 1999 when two expatriates, Canadian bassist/singer Jane Mountain and American guitarist/singer Kate St. Claire, woke up with hangovers from a New Year's Eve party and a song written. Initial demo recordings for what the two initially thought of as a casual joke attracted interest from similarly minded label and band types, resulting in a full band lineup when another expatriate, Canadian drummer Matthew Lazowski, stepped up in late summer 1999. Keyboardist Rachel Angel, the one English member of the group, joined with only a week before the band's first real gig, having come to interview the band and then invited to hang around permanently. The band made its first notable splashes in 2000 with a variety of gigs (including some dates in America and Canada) and a full debut EP, Bang! Bang! Bang! Lookout, Lookout, Lookout! ~ Ned Raggett