Developing their ideas as a duo in various practice spaces, Kokabi (guitars, vocals, synths) and Moghaddam (bass, vocals, synths) decided to enlist the help of fellow musicians -- guitarist and vocalist Lee Tesche and drummer TJ Blake -- to flesh out their sound. Earning support slots with the likes of Deerhunter, Grouper, and Lightning Bolt, the four-piece used these live performances to develop their style -- a mix of My Bloody Valentine-inspired shoegaze, intense drones, and Krautrock.

In 2009, Lyonnais set about recording their debut release Want for Wish for Nowhere. Recorded and produced by the band itself, the self-released album was originally pressed on limited-edition cassettes and sold at gigs and via their own website. At the end of 2010, they headed to New York to record their second release at a studio owned by Ryan Rasheed (Prefuse 73) and Brad Hurst. The sessions were scrapped but in May 2011 the band signed a deal with Hurst’s label Hoss Records, which then went on to reissue the band’s debut album that October. ~ Richard Wilson