Formed in early 2005 by Kyle Falconer (vocals), Kieren Webster (bass), Peter Reilly (guitar) and Steven Morrison (drums), this Scottish indie rock band from Dryburgh, Dundee, barely two years later the View had become one of the UK music scene's "buzz" bands. The line-up first played together at secondary school, performing a mixture of cover versions and original material. After finishing their education, the quartet began gigging around their native Dundee, taking their name from the pub where they first held a residency. Their self-titled debut EP was released at the start of 2006 on the Dundee-based label Two Thumbs, and gained a number of favourable reviews from a UK press yearning for a new band to replace the void left by the demise of glam-punk rebels the Libertines.
The View gradually built up a cult following with a series of fiery live shows and prominent support slots, notably with Primal Scream and Babyshambles. They had already become indelibly associated with the latter, after impressing that band's notorious lead singer, ex-Libertine Pete Doherty, by busking to him before a Babyshambles gig. With media interest growing, the quartet signed a contract with Libertines associate James Endeacott's new label, the Sony distributed 1965 Records, and began recording their debut album with producer Owen Morris of Oasis and Verve fame. The singles "Wasted Little DJs", "Superstar Tradesman" and "Same Jeans" built up a gradual chart impetus, with the latter reaching the UK Top 3 at the start of 2007. The attendant Hats Off To The Buskers found a large audience (reaching the top of the UK charts) owing to its snappy approximation of the Libertines blueprint, complete with singalong melodies and a refreshing, devil-may-care attitude.
