Halou was created as the DIY project of husband/wife duo Rebecca and Ryan Coseboom, who began releasing tracks from their bedroom in the suburbs north of San Francisco in 1997. Halou quickly gained attention from labels and radio and released their first album, WEONLYLOVEYOU, in 1998. Count joined shortly after and the new three-piece Halou signed to "major indie" Nettwerk Productions for their second album, WISER. The album was released with high hopes but, as Nettwerk had just signed Coldplay and allocated resources accordingly, Halou was not a big priority. Nevertheless, the album gained the band a cult following and influential outlets like KEXP and KCRW helped spread the word.

As Halou worked on their third album, WHOLENESS & SEPARATION, Ryan and Count began a successful run remixing artists like Frank Sinatra, Depeche Mode and Rod Stewart (Halou's remix reached #1 on Billboard's dance charts) and the band appeared as guests on records by DJ Shadow, UNKLE, and Velvet Underground legend John Cale.

The fourth album, simply titled HALOU, was previewed during a US tour with indie icon, Bob Mould, and showcased a more guitar-oriented sound. Though the album was released to considerable acclaim, the band decided to pack it in and, in 2008, they ended a ten year run.

In 2015, Halou returns.