The Athens-based electronic pop duo Keep Shelly In Athens owes its career to the Internet. It was the many music blogs of the world that picked up on the group’s first tracks, raving about their sleek sound that referenced the shoegaze movement and the dancefloor-ready anthems of groups like Yaz and Pet Shop Boys.

“We have a wide umbrella of influences,” the band’s chief musical architect who goes by the name RΠЯ says of their throwback sound. “Anyone could easily find something to remind them of the past, but I try to mix it and record it in a way that it always sounds contemporary.” 

Soon enough, the group had its first record contract with Gorilla Vs. Bear’s in-house label Forest Friends and started gaining an international audience of fans. KSIA has since done a trio of US tours—one of which included a much-raved about set at the 2012 installment of Coachella—and has released a wealth of new tunes via iconic UK dance labels like Transparent and Planet Mu. With half a decade of experience under its belt there’s a lot to learn about the Greek duo, but fear not because we’re here to help. Here’s 10 things you need to know about KSIA.

Keep Shelly In Athens Released Its First Tracks On Myspace In 2010 

Back when the group was only one person, RΠЯ uploaded a trio of tracks to his Myspace page. Before he knew it, and before he even had an actual singer in the group, the blogosphere picked up the scent and started posting the tunes on their sites.

RΠЯ’s Favorite Band Is Cocteau Twins

He fell in love with the sound of the Scottish dreampop band after a friend loaned him a cassette of their 1990 album Heaven Or Las Vegas. “When I hear a song, I want to go into a dream,” he says. “Every track by this band gives me that.”

KSIA Has A New Album Out Called Now I’m Ready

This is the band’s first record for the LA-based label Friends of Friends. The eight-track LP was conceived—like all of their work to date—in RΠЯ’s home studio in Athens, with him writing everything from music to vocal melodies before finishing them with singer Myrtha.

Myrtha Is KSIA’s Second Singer 

Sarah P., the original vocalist who had been with the group since 2010, announced her departure via Twitter in 2014. RΠЯ found the new singer, Myrtha, through mutual friends. “She’s so wonderful in life, and her performances are even better,” he says.

KSIA Had A Very Unique Sound For Greece When They Started

When they first started out, there weren’t a lot of other bands like them in their home country. RΠЯ says the focus was primarily on guitar-based indie groups and high-profile pop stars. These days, though, “I can see that there are more bands approaching our sound.” 

KSIA First Came To America In 2011 

The band was booked for a quick 10-day tour of the States, including a performance at that year’s Fun Fun Fun Festival in Austin, Texas. “It was brief but a huge step for us,” RΠЯ says. “It was a huge deal for us and it still is.”

RΠЯ Is Not A Fan Of Selfies

The man behind the music in Keep Shelly In Athens prefers to stay obscured in all of the band photos and hides in the dark onstage, in part because he says he hates “everybody trying to show their faces all the time. I really hate that behavior. I want to focus on the music.” 

KSIA Will Soon Start Their Biggest North American Tour Ever

Kicking off on Halloween night at the U Street Music Hall in Washington D.C., the group will be on the road until December 5 with multiple dates in Texas, Washington state and California, as well as stops in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.

KSIA Released A Split Cassette With Disclosure In 2011

Long before either band was as big as they are now, the two teamed up and released the Late Night Later Night EP on cassette with three songs by each group taking up each side of the tape. The limited edition release sold out quickly and is now considered a collector’s item. 

There Is No Shelly 

The band’s name is actually a play on words, referring to Kipseli, the neighborhood in Athens where RΠЯ grew up. “When a Greek hears the name, they know that it’s about the area,” he says, “but everyone else wants to know, ‘Who is Shelly and why does she have to be in Athens?’”