Born in Manchester in 1971, Lewis and Jones began playing gigs in London and were soon spotted by someone from WEA records, resulting in a contract. In the U.S., Pooka's self-titled debut (produced by the renowned John Coxon) was released in 1993 on Elektra. Tours with Tindersticks, Kristin Hersh, and the Levellers followed. Between their proper recordings, Pooka co-wrote some tracks with electronic band Ultramarine for 1995's Bel Air. After some delay, Pooka's second album, Spinning, was released in September 1997 on Trade 2, a subsidiary of Island, and applied electronic textures to the duo's songwriting. ~ Kenyon Hopkin