out of the blue was formed in 2000 by postgraduate derek smith, who, having arrived in oxford after an undergraduate degree at harvard university, noticed the distinct lack of an all-male a cappella group at the university. since their inception, they have become one of the most successful university groups in the uk, having toured the uk, ireland, the united states, japan, sri lanka and scandinavia, and acquiring consecutive fringe sell-out awards at the edinburgh festival fringe every year since 2006.