In the late 1990s Robert Dallas Gray (né Johnston) co-founded the cult UK band Life without buildings, whose song The Leanover enjoyed a resurgence in late 2021 as a result of viral TikTok trending; the band's monthly Spotify streams jumped to over 12 million as a result.

After a long break from music Robert began playing as a solo artist, releasing the mini-album Reels in 2021, with artwork by Life without buildings bandmate Sue Tompkins, along with several releases in the duo Whin with Martin John Henry (ex-De Rosa).

Robert's debut full-length, The Rain Room, was released on August 18 2023. Like Reels, the tracks are instrumental, mostly played on electric guitars, with organ, lap steel and electric piano decorating a few tracks. They derive from improvisations, although some are more structured than others, and all were played and recorded at home during 2021 and 2022.