After meeting at one of London's longest-running music conservatories, vocalist/violinist/songwriter Georgia Ellery and electronic producer Taylor Skye formed Jockstrap. The band's intentionally crude name stood in stark contrast to their strange but sophisticated sounds, with Ellery's diaphanous songwriting and gentle vocals disrupted by Skye's harsh, unpredictable production. After releasing a handful of music independently, Jockstrap signed on with Warp for the release of their 2020 EP Wicked City. Ellery and Skye were both students at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the late 2010s, eventually meeting up after attending some of the same concerts and events. In addition to the jazz violin program that took her to music school, Ellery was also writing songs on piano, and sent Skye some informal demos. From these demos, the two formed new project Jockstrap around 2018, recruiting some friends who played strings to flesh out their recordings and even assist the duo live. Their EP, Love Is the Key to the City, was released in 2018 and quickly drew attention from press, fans, and established artists all enamored with the duo's beguiling style. In November of 2018, they contributed to Dean Blunt's Soul on Fire EP alongside Mica Levi and A$AP Rocky. Buzz continued to grow around the duo and they signed on with experimental electronic label Warp in 2020. In advance of their second EP, Wicked City, Jockstrap released singles "Acid" and "The City." The EP was released in early June of that year.