Islands was formed in Montreal in 2005 by frontman Nick Thorburn (known more commonly as Nick Diamonds), and Jamie Thompson (J'amie Tambeur), after the breakup up of their previous band, The Unicorns. Nick remains the driving force behind the band, as the rest of the band has seen many changes over the years. Currently, Islands consists of Nick, Evan Gordon & Geordie Gordon (the two brothers joined in 2009), and Adam Halferty (since 2013).

The band is currently based in Los Angeles and has released seven studio albums, including Taste and Should I Remain Here, At Sea? (a spiritual successor to the bands debut, Return To The Sea), which were simultaneously released on May 13, 2016.

A Southern California filmmaker is currently producing a documentary about Nick’s career in the music industry, including his time with Islands.