Silver Ginger 5 was originally formed in 1999 as a solo project for Ginger, lead singer/songwriter of The Wildhearts.

The band was not formed until after the recording of the album Black Leather Mojo, and despite the name only ever had 4 members.

Their debut album was produced by Tim Smith of the Cardiacs, who Ginger counted as one of his biggest influences. It was claimed by Ginger himself in an interview with Kerrang! magazine, that the audition for Wildhearts bassist Danny McCormack consisted of taking LSD and attending a Cardiacs concert.

The link with the Cardiacs continued with the group's guitarist Random Jon Poole playing bass on Black Leather Mojo.