The first listen of The Undertones early hits of catchy hooks and high-flying punk would give little indication that this band was formed in the conflict-stricken region of Northern Ireland. The sound, however, was an intentional departure from the atmosphere around the band as they chose instead to focus on developing their music. The band came together in 1975 in Derry, Northern Ireland. The original lineup had brothers Damian and John O'Neill both on guitars, Michael Bradley on bass, Feargal Sharkey on vocals and Billy Doherty on drums. The band began by playing covers at youth clubs throughout the area.The band almost ended because of the lack of success until they got a break and Terry Hooley released their EP Teenage Kicks on Good Vibrations in 1978. The song was picked up by radio stations and led to a deal with Sire Records. They released a self-titled debut as well as a record called Hypnotised. The band members started maturing their sound and moved to another label, EMI. There they released Positive Touch in 1981 and The Sin of Pride in 1983. The Undertones saw their popularity wane with those releases, leading to a breakup later in 1983.The members tried both solo career and other bands in their time off. The O'Neill brothers were in a band called That Petrol Emotion, which brought them some fame. The band eyed reunions, but vocalist Sharkey seemed reluctant. The rest of the band members got around this by dropping Sharkey and adding Paul McLoone. They released a documentary on the band in 2001 and also released an album of new material in 2003 called Get What You Need. They have since started performing live again and added new fans as well as brought back old ones. The Undertones also released a greatest hits album.