Minneapolis/St. Paul siblings Neil and Martha Weir formed The Chambermaids (originally the Shut-Ins) in 2003. Using a drum machine, they cut five demos, and began playing shows in the Twin Cities. The demo was well received by 770 Radio K (The University of Minnesota's student-run radio station), and the duo was invited to perform a live in-studio session. A short time later, drummer Colin Johnson joined the group and the three piece began recording tracks which would later become their self-titled debut full-length, released on CD by Modern Radio in the Fall of 2006.