Blake Ricks (guitar/vocals) and Stephen Cass (drums/vocals) met as teenagers in Santa Barbara, CA where they quickly discovered their mutual affinity for strong vocal harmonies in the tradition of such West Coast groups as the Byrds and the Beach Boys. Stephen, who split his time between Santa Barbara and his parent's home town of Liverpool, England, brought a developed taste for British invasion bands. By forming their own band, they quickly became local favorites headlining local shows and supporting national touring acts such as the Bangles and Dream Syndicate. Despite the low-fi, DIY nature of their recordings, several of their songs came into regular rotation on their local radio station KTYD, and even popped up on the bellwether LA radio station KROQ. Not bad for a bunch of high school kids.

Despite this auspicious musical beginning, wanderlust seized the group and they split up. Blake set off for the Middle East to learn Arabic and enjoy a brief recording career that gave him a hit song on BBC Radio Middle East. Stephen continued to refine his vocal skills in various singing groups while getting his Masters and Ph.D. at Harvard and Oxford.

The reunion began when Blake and Stephen accidentally found themselves neighbors in New York City's Greenwich Village. Despite all attempts to disrupt what musical momentum they had going in previous years, fate had apparently intervened and they decided to give in, once again, to the musical muse. Helium Angel's debut at CBGB's in 1994 was followed by a string of performances supporting national acts such as Deep Blue Something and Kevin Salem. Yet something wasn't quite right. Tired of Avenue A angst, and rejecting the musical blind alleys of NYC's East Village noise merchants, Helium Angel made its 1996 exodus to the pop-friendly environs of San Francisco. Here experimental pop was not just another haircut (or lack of one) but an integral part of the city's musical roots.

Blake and Stephen met Adam Cunha (bass/vocals) at Bruno's in the Mission district of San Francisco. Without even hearing a tape, the description of the music intrigued him and he agreed to fill in on bass on a provisional basis until a permanent bass player could be found. By the end of the first rehearsal, however, a musical bond had already been forged, and Adam told them that they need look no further. With Helium Angel he found a suitable format that complimented his aggressive yet melodic groove bass playing style and joined the group as its permanent third member.

In San Francisco the band has quickly gained notice with favorable reviews appearing in both local and international publications. A regular on the local club circuit where they play at venues such as 330 Ritch, Bottom of the Hill, Cafe du Nord, and the Starry Plough, Helium Angel attracts a broad audience who simply dig the groove of the songs and the band's positive vibe.

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