Deriving their own stylish post-punk brand, the Pleased initially came together under the Please moniker in early 2000. Guitarist/vocalist Noah Georgeson studied with composer Terry Riley at Mills College and earned a master's degree in music. He wanted to put his writing for orchestras and computers to use, so starting a band was the logical thing to do. Lucky for him, keyboardist Joanna Newsom was looking to do the same. Also from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the classically trained harpist/pianist Newsom met Georgeson at Mills and in time, the two befriended Englishman Rich Good (guitar/vocals), Jersey native Genaro Vergoglini (drums), and Luckey Remington, a lumberjack from Oregon, to form the Pleased. In summer 2002, the band headed to England for a short tour. The public fell in love with them almost instantly while THE FACE magazine touted them as one to watch in 2003. Without an album, the Pleased felt their momentum stalling, so they manufactured their own handmade EPs. Upon their return to the States, the Pleased amassed enough material for a full-length. The end result was One Piece from the Middle. English radio continued to praise the Pleased, especially London XFM, and such accolades eventually led the Pleased to a domestic deal with Big Wheel. The label suggested the band rework the romance of One Piece from the Middle for a proper debut release. Don't Make Things was the polished spinoff. It was issued in November 2003. ~ MacKenzie Wilson