Originally based in Sydney, Australia, this alternative rock band was formed in 1997 by high school friends Shimon Moore (b. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; guitar/vocals) and Emma Anzai (b. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; bass/vocals), with Chris Mileski (drums) rounding out the line-up. Drawing inspiration from US post-grunge and post-punk bands such as Green Day and Sevendust, the trio’s youthful enthusiasm earned them a cult following in their native Australia. The independently released Dog’s Breakfast EP gained good notices during 1999 and led to a recording contract with the independent label Transistor Music. The 2001 album, Welcome To The Real World, achieved minor commercial success on the back of extensive radio play for the single ‘Nothing Really Matters’.
The departure of Mileski prompted Moore and Anzai to review their priorities, and after a temporary hiatus they relocated to the USA, setting up base in Los Angeles, California. They recruited American drummer Mark Goodwin (b. Mission Viejo, California, USA) and released a self-titled EP on the Roadshow Music label at the end of 2006. During this period one of their new tracks had exploded onto the Internet when ‘All The Same’ was used to soundtrack a video of performance artist Juan Mann wandering around a shopping precinct holding up a sign asking for ‘Free Hugs’. The groundswell of interest in Sick Puppies led to a major label contract with Virgin Records, which released the accomplished Dressed Up As Life in 2007.
