The Italian-born Cristante grew up in
Rome but moved to
London in 2007. Fenton and Fehmi lived in a flat below Cristante in
Peckham, where they met. In 2019, they began making music together. The band's sound is often associated with indie sleaze, shoegaze, and lo-fi pop influences. From 2020 onwards, the band released five albums, three EPs and multiple singles through World Music, the record label founded by London musicians
Dean Blunt and
Inga Copeland. They were noted as a "new act to watch" by
The Face magazine and the number one "rising star to look out for in 2023" by
The Times. Their 2022 EP
CDR was placed at number one on
Gorilla vs. Bears list of the best EPs of 2022, and their track "Miracle Crush" was placed at number 13 on
Crack's list of the 25 best songs of 2022. In March 2023, it was announced they had signed with
Matador Records. They released
Tracey Denim in May 2023, while their second album of the year,
The Twits, released in November and was supported by European and North American tour dates. Both albums received "generally favorable" reviews according to rating aggregator
Metacritic, with French cultural magazine
Les Inrocks placing the two projects collectively at number 10 in their list of the best albums of the year.
AllMusic called
The Twits a reflection of the group's growth "into an increasingly singular, expressive band", and the record debuted at No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest placement as of 2023. In October 2025, Bar Italia released their album
Some Like It Hot through Matador Records. The record, described as a culmination of the group’s collaborative songwriting, blends rock, folk pop and ballads, and follows their 2023 releases. Ahead of the album, the singles "Cowbella," "Fundraiser," "rooster," and "omni shambles" were issued, with Fundraiser accompanied by a video featuring actor Matt King. The band began a tour following the release of
Some Like It Hot, playing at venues across Europe and North America, including a sold-out release show at
The Dome in London. == Other projects ==