The brash indie rock sounds of the Ordinary Boys come from Sam Preston (vocals, guitar), William J. Brown (guitar, vocals), Charles Stanley (drums), and James Gregory (bass). Inspired by the Kinks, the Jam, and the Smiths, the foursome formed the Ordinary Boys in Worthing, England, near Brighton, in spring 2002. They'd already been playing in various bands since their early teenage years, and obviously took their name from the Morrissey song; however, the Ordinary Boys attempted to survive the responsibilities of having normal nine-to-five lives before ever pursuing a career in music. By the time they reached their early twenties, the four childhood mates wooed their native England with their swaggering post-punk/pop style of music.

Dates supporting stellastarr* and the Thrills as well an appearance on the BBC Radio 1 show Live in Brighton positioned the Ordinary Boys to gain national attention. Their debut single, Maybe Someday, arrived on B-Unique in February 2004; it also marked the band's debut with legendary producer Stephen Street.

The cheeky second single, Week in Week Out, followed two months later. It was the band's first chart hit, going Top 40 in the U.

K. Performances at T in the Park in Glasgow and Glastonbury in Reading coincided with the August 2004 release of the Ordinary Boys' debut album, Over the Counter Culture.