One evening in mid-2005, Tom was on his way to join the French Foreign Legion, Olivia was returning from a failed job interview as a lion tamer, and Dan had been discharged from his responsibilities as Treasurer of the Serge Gainsbourg Appreciation Society, following an incident of financial mismanagement. Needing a break from their travels, this unfortunate trio found themselves in a Little Chef in Banbury Cross. Over their peas, which Tom likes to eat with a spoon, each resolved to abandon their old aspirations and start a band.

This band experimented with various styles at the beginning, including industrial goth-core and power ballads. However, the project they settled on was The Empty Set, who make highly pleasing, short, acoustic songs about science and love.

To the band’s great surprise, quite a few people seem to like them, and they have been asked to play in front of people at places like The Tin Angel and Warwick Students’ Union. A shady pair from Tough Love Records have even approached them about some implausible new technology that allows people to listen to music without the band even being there.