In January 2001, prior to the final single "Fool" being released off "Little Kix", Draper informed the "NME" that the band were set to enter the studio in March or April of that year and that the band wanted to release new material as soon as possible. In April, Draper told fans through the official website that the band had recorded and mixed eight new songs and would continue recording in May. The band were considering their options as to whether to release an EP or to hold the material back for a full album. In August, Chad posted on the band's official website to inform fans that the band had abandoned plans for an EP and were now halfway through recording their fourth album, which would be "harder" than "Little Kix" and that they planned to release a single in December. The band's aim for the record was to make it as representative of Mansun as a live band as possible, that it sounded "like a live band playing in a room" but also that it had all the "creative sounds that "Six" had". In October 2001 the Mansun ansaphone service operated by King since the early days of the band went down. In March 2002 and with no sign of new material, it was claimed that the delay in the new album being finished was due to Chad's injuring his hand after falling into a fire grate, keeping him from playing for four to five months, but confirmed that the band had so far finished 15 songs.