Los Angeles indie pop quintet Fonda was formed in 1994 by singer/keyboardist Emily Cook and singer/guitarist David Klotz; with the addition of drummer Aaron Ryder, the group played its first live dates at area clubs like ~Spaceland and ~Cafe Bleu, and in 1998 issued their debut EP Music for Beginners on the Top Quality label, with the cut "Crazy Love" becoming a staple on L.A. radio station ~KROQ. Ex-Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist Dave Newton and bassist Lora Paelicke signed on for Fonda's first full-length effort, 1999's The Invisible Girl. Two years later, their follow-up The Strange and the Familiar arrived.