The Arms of Someone New was formed in 1983 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois by Mel Eberle and Steve Jones. They modeled their sound after the melancholic side of Factory Records, The Cure's "Faith" period and The Teardrop Explodes. Between 1983 and 1985 they released four cassettes, one 7", and one 12" EP. In September 1985, the duo self-released their debut full length Susan Sleepwalking on Office Records. Equipped with Casio keyboards, drum machines, and jangly guitars, The Arms Of Someone New provided an American take on English folk, ambient, and industrial music. Over the album's ten tracks they paint pictures of stillness with sparse instrumentation and simple chord change. Psychedelic vocals add a dream-like veneer. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a blood red-tinted photograph with ghostly textures. Each copy includes a 2-sided 11" square insert with lyrics and press clippings from the band's archive.