 Prior to the In Medias Res' formation, Lee and Poon played in a band with the latter's older brother and another bassist.They won a Battle of the Bands show at Lee's high school, competing against another group that Flowers and Tornroos played in (Lee, Flowers and Tornroos attended the same high school).After Poon's brother left town, Watts joined the band, having known the group's members from summer camp.