Arnar the lead singer recorded the first Leaves demos on his home computer and whispered the vocals into the mix once his parents had gone to bed. The band's first single, "Breathe", was recorded this way. It sold out inside a week of it's January 2002 release.

All four members of Leaves are best friends, and the gang decided to form a band - one of those rare instances when things seem to be just right. They moved into a red house in the centre of Reykjavik, which they rented from one of the greatest pianists in Iceland and continued to work on the demos.

Leaves played their first gig in a converted art gallery in Reykjavik in front of an 800 strong audience of Iceland's music mafia on Wednesday 17th October 2001. Visibly nervous they may have been, but the warm, woozy beauty of their seven-song set held the audience rapt. Afterwards, the audience joined the band at their house to party and play darts into the night.

Leaves made their UK debut in November 2001, playing two shows that included a night with the Coral. They toured the UK with the Bluetones in December 2001.
The first single "Breathe" was released on January 21st 2002, and Leaves returned to the UK to complete their first tour in March. They tour with The Coral, Doves and Electric Soft Parade in April and May.