In the Summer of 2016, Laurent Barnard and Steve Sears decided it was time they made a record together. Not only were the two school friends but in the last few years Steve had produced two albums for Laurent’s punk band, Gallows. Soon, local drummer Jack Kenny (Nervus / Blackhole) joined the freshly named Gold Key project, and by the autumn James Leach of heavy prog legends SikTh completed the line-up.