Kula Shaker
On 2 July 2008 the band announced they were back in the studio working on their fourth studio album with working title "Pilgrims Progress". However soon after the band became locked in a legal dispute with their label which resulted in most of the work for the next album being frozen. As of May 2009, work on the new album had recommenced.
The Blind Shake
The brothers developed an interest in music at an early age, when they were "in Third and Fourth grade, we had a twenty dollar Sears catalogue acoustic". Both began to study guitar with Mike receiving lessons while Jim abandoned the instrument until he was 23. Roper and Mike Blaha had played together in bands during their college years. Inspired by the simple approach of the punk rock, the two began playing together where Mike would use a baritone guitar. In 2004 they released a self-titled single.