The Veronicas hail from Brisbane, Australia, where twin sisters Jess and Lisa Origliasso began working in show business at the age of five. Born on Christmas Day in 1984, Jess and Lisa first performed as the Origliasso Twins, and their appearances at awards shows and sporting events drew the attention of agents and talent agencies. As teenagers, the twins released three teen pop albums under the name Lisa & Jessica, and they began making forays into TV after landing recurring roles in the Australian children's series Cybergirl. After Jess received a guitar as a birthday present in 2002, though, the girls started devoting more time to songwriting, gradually transforming their sound from pop to alternative rock in the process.

With the help of two friends, the Origliasso twins formed a band, Teal, and released "Baby It's Over," a hooky single that made the twins sought-after songwriters. After honing their chops by working with several different collaborators, the Origliassos signed a publishing deal and began contributing songs to a number of performers, including Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan, Japanese pop singer Miz, and the Russian group Tatu. The girls were now focused on becoming internationally successful in their own right, and they moved to Los Angeles to try their hand in America. After changing their name to the Veronicas and turning 20 years old, they landed a deal with Sire, an offshot of Warner Bros. Records.