The founders of the Australian band Thirsty Merc, the guitar player Matt Baker, bass guitar player Phil Stack and drummer Karl Robertson used to work together between 1996 and 1998 in the group Drown, which performed in Dubbo. Then, Baker and Stack moved to Sidney to get an education.
In 2002, the two musicians returned to Dubbo. Upon coming back, Phil met a vocalist Tai Thistlethwayte, who also came from Sidney. The artists began working together as a duo. Then they invited Matt Baker and Karl Robertson to join them. The young men called the band Thirsty. They moved to Sidney and renamed the group to Thirsty Merc in honor of Rai’s Mercedes, which burned too much fuel.
In September 2003, the group presented its first EP, First Work, which came in 95th on the ARIA Charts. Thirsty Merc continued to perform in Sidney pubs trying to acquire fans and catch the attention of label representatives. They were noticed by Warner Music Australia. After two tough auditions, the musicians signed a contract.
In the spring of 2004, the band released the second track from First Work as a single. “Emancipate Myself” reached the 37th spot of the ARIA Singles Chart. In July, the group released the lead single from the upcoming album. “My Completeness” was a hit, which settled on the second spot of the Airplay Chart and came in 27th on the ARIA Singles Chart. At that time, many fans tried to book Thirsty Merc for private events.
