The Crimea were a British indie band, based in Camden, London. The band were featured in John Peel's Festive Fifty, ranking higher than bands such as the White Stripes and all eleven of the initial album demos were played on his show. The Guardian has described the Crimea's songs as "mini-epics" that reduce frontman Davey MacManus to "spasms of jerking anguish". On 2 July 2013, they announced via their official Twitter account that they were calling time on their 11-years as a band and that their gig at the Jazz Café in London on 30 July 2013 would be their last.

The Crocketts were a Welsh-Irish indie rock band from Aberystwyth. Formed in 1996, the band featured Irish vocalist Davey MacManus, English guitarist Daniel Harris, English bassist Richard Carter and Welsh drummer Owen Hopkin. The Crocketts were signed to Blue Dog Records and released two studio albums: We May Be Skinny & Wirey in 1998 and The Great Brain Robbery in 2000. After the band split up in 2002, MacManus and Hopkin went on to form the Crimea.