The band formed in 2008, naming themselves after the suburb Crookes in Sheffield where the guitarists Alex Saunders and Daniel Hopewell met before later recruiting George Waite on vocals and Russell Bates on drums.
NME Magazine has championed the band, describing how'a band this good are unlikely to remain obscure for long. "
The Crookes were named as The Guardian Band of The Day in September 2009 being described as having'hints of the winsome, lose-some C86 brigade, The Smiths(say, circa The Boy With the Thorn in His Side), the plaintive jangle of the Housemartins, even Belle and Sebastian. '
In 2009 the band recorded a live session for Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 1 with Lamacq describing the band as having'ambition and flare and a singer with a beautiful voice; one of those special, poetic voices which dips and soars above their jangling guitars. '
The Crookes have also been named as BBC 6 Music's favourite new band with Lamacq later describing them as his'favourite British band of the year' on BBC Radio 2.