Guitar pop band Wireless were formed in the aftermath of the collapse of Manchester, Lancashire, England indie mainstays Molly Half Head. When that group disintegrated in 1995, songwriters Paul Bardsley and Phil Murphy elected to continue their partnership. As Bardsley confirmed to the press: ‘It just got a bit stale. In the end, instead of battling away and exhausting ourselves, we decided to call it a day.’ The new group was formed with the addition of Chris Picken (keyboards), Michael Darling (bass) and Basil Creese (drums). The group touted its demo recordings around various labels, with Chrysalis Records being the first to spot their commercial potential (they also signed a publishing contract with Creation Records). Their debut single, ‘I Need You’, premiered a more accessible sound than had been the case with Molly Half Head. Producer Bruce Lampcov replaced the heavy-going riffs, which had been such a feature of Molly Half Head, with an emphasis on sweeping string arrangements and acoustic guitars.