The Hope Blister was an English ambient band active between 1997 and 1999, directed by Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD Records. The group consisted of singer Louise Rutkowski, bass player Laurence O'Keefe, and string arranger Audrey Riley. Emerging from the This Mortal Coil project, The Hope Blister focused on cover versions with a fixed lineup. Their debut album, ...Smile’s Ok, was released in 1998. In 1999, they followed up with their second and final studio album, Underarms. The band disbanded later that year following Watts-Russell's retirement from the music industry. An expanded version of Underarms titled Underarms & Sideways, featuring a bonus disc of remixes, was released in 2005.
