Their members originate from various cities in Northern England. They were formed in
Leeds before relocating first to
London, where they came to the attention of major
record labels. After signing to
Skint Records the band relocated to
Brighton on the south coast, where that label is based. Subsequent to parting company with Skint, the band liquidated their Brighton studio complex 'The Brainfarm', and the personnel are now based variously in
Brighton,
The Midlands and
New York. Their earlier work is noted for genre-crossing stylings, distorted, morose, and at times alien lyrics, distinctive funk
bass lines, and extensive use of
lo-fi recording practices. This work is best exemplified by their 1998 debut
album How to Operate with a Blown Mind on
Skint Records. At this time, the Lo Fidelity Allstars were credited by
pseudonyms rather than their actual names. After its release, the band's lead vocalist David Randall (credited as The Wrekked Train) left, on Corsair Records, preceded by the single "Smash & Grab World" which was released worldwide in April, and was the band's first new material for four years.
Northern Stomp was widely well received, with
DJ Magazine giving 4 stars, saying "This is a blown band album dripping with (northern) soul. The Lo-Fis are back and they deserve adoration all over again" and the world's best selling music monthly
Q calling it "a dance-tinged hybrid that becomes more fascinating with each listen". The second single taken from the album was "Your Midnight" which featured remixes from Phil Ward's alter ego Lord Warddd and label mate IDC, released on 31 August 2009. The band continued to release a string of occasional singles on Corsair Records up to 'Darkness Rolling' in 2016. Live dates were rare, with an appearance at the inaugural 'Shiiine On Weekender' festival in 2015 being a notable exception. Following the death of drummer Johnny Machin in 2018, the band effectively went on indefinite hiatus. Late 2025 saw a new website and an announcement of a short Easter 2026 UK tour to be accompanied by the release of a new compilation album 'The Corsair Singles'. An EP collection of remixes became available in late 2025, which was only available on the band's Bandcamp page and included two tracks re-imagined by Phil Ward. In January 2026, it was also announced that a new 'single mix' of radio-friendly track 'Come Alive' was to be given a pre-tour release. ==Solo work and individual projects==