U.K. art-rock outfit the Departure originates from the provincial town of Northampton, and was formed at the end of 2003 by David Jones (vocals), Sam Harvey (guitar), Lee Irons (guitar/vocals), Ben Winton (bass), and Andy Hobson (drums). They made their live debut in their native Northampton at the start of the following year, before making a brief trip to London to record a demo and try to secure a recording contract. The quintet’s similarity to fashionable U.S. electro pop bands such as the Killers and the Bravery no doubt helped them obtain a contract with the major label Parlophone Records. Support slots with the Killers and Graham Coxon helped the Departure hone their raw live act, and by the autumn they had secured enough of a following to push their debut single "All Mapped Out" into the U.K. Top 30. The band continued touring, including a number of well-received festival slots, while continuing to work on their debut album. The singles "Lump in My Throat" and "Be My Enemy" preceded the release of Dirty Words in summer 2005. The album’s slick, '80s-inspired fusion of guitar rock and electro pop was generally impressive, although lacking in stand-out tracks to help the band rise above the glut of other bands mining a similar vein.