Henry Ate was the brainchild of Karma-Ann Swanepoel, a singer/songwriter from Johannesburg, South Africa. The formation of the band came in 1996, when guitarist Julian Sun was playing at a music festival with the band Urban Creep. Inviting Karma out of the audience to sing, the results of this impromptu performance encouraged them to form their own group. Recruiting ex-members of Plum - Barry van Zyl, Willen Moller and brothers Kevin and Warren Leicher - the band recorded and released their debut album Slap in the Face in 1997 under the moniker Henry Ate, the name being taken from the lyrics of one of their songs. Slap in the Face was an album of folk-pop and was greeted with positive reviews and extensive media coverage in their native South Africa. A change of record company in 1998 saw a change in name and personnel for the band. Upon signing to Primedia, the name Henry Ate was dropped. Their 1999 disc, One Day Soon, was touted as a solo album for Karma. Only Sun was retained from the original lineup, and new musicians Brendan Ou Tim (bass), Max Mikula (guitar) and Peter Cohen (drums) were added, although Cohen left the group in mid-1999. The album received good reviews and the single "One Day Soon" received significant radio airplay. ~ Jonathan Lewis, All Music Guide