Playing light-but-sophisticated pop which gives hooks and melody equal weight, Insta is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalists Adam Cooper and Catherine Cooper, who are also man and wife. The Coopers first made a name for themselves playing with Alison's Halo, a shoegazer trio with drum machine from Tempe, AZ. In the late '90s, Adam and Catherine relocated Alison's Halo to Chicago, IL, and began working on a variety of more pop-oriented side projects, with the results released under the names Kitten Factor and the Pastry Heroes. In 1999, they struck upon a new moniker, Insta, and recorded a five-song EP, Horn Rim Fury, at Jetpack Studios, the Coopers' name for their lovingly assembled collection of vintage analog recording equipment. For Insta's first recordings, Catherine sang lead, both Catherine and Adam played keyboards and guitars, David Rogers was on bass, and Ken Marl and Ben Currier played drums on different tunes. In 2000, Adam and Catherine put Alison's Halo on "indefinite hiatus" to concentrate on Insta, and over the next two years they worked on their second album at home, with a variety of different bassists, drummers, and other contributors filling in the gaps. By the time Checklist for Love was completed, Insta had finally established a firm lineup, with Adam and Catherine joined by bassist Cyrus Khazai and drummer Timothy Ford. The Illinois-based Sunday Records label released Checklist for Love shortly after reissuing Horn Rim Fury, which was initially distributed by the band itself.