Richard David Hughes attended Tonbridge School where he was friends with future Keane members Tim Rice-Oxley and Dominic Scott. At the age of 17, Hughes learned to play the drums, and when Scott and Rice-Oxley formed a small covers band in 1995 he was invited to join as drummer. They later invited future lead singer Tom Chaplin to join the band, although Hughes initially objected, later stating, "The idea of giving someone who's already the loudest person you know a microphone was not something that I was particularly keen on."