It all began in 1999 when two English teachers in Jakarta got bored with their jobs (or lives, we don't know) and decided to form a band. Short of a guitarist, Bob and Lens asked Aghi, one of their students, to help them. They first called the band Monkey Clit with Bob on vocals/bass, Aghi on guitars, and Lens on drums, but soon changed it to THE MISKINS. They thought this was a more appropriate name (for obvious reasons, though also because it means "the poor ones") as none of the three band members owned a musical instrument. Because THE MISKINS quickly realized they weren't good enough musicians to play other people's songs they decided to write their own.