China Drum were formed in rural Northern England in 1989 by brothers Bill and Dave McQueen, a guitarist and bassist respectively, and singing drummer Adam Lee. Then teenagers, the members first began rehearsing in a local farm's empty pig shed powered by an electrical generator. After four years of extensive local and regional gigging, the band self-released their debut single, "Simple", in 1993, which was championed by John Peel and other members of the British radio press. They were also heartened when Frankie Stubbs and his influential punk band Leatherface received the single warmly and covered the B-side track "Meaning" on their "Little White God" single the following year.