The daughter of a minister, Sandrine began performing at the early age of 6, when her father organized the family into a Christian music group. They toured New Zealand, selling homemade CDs from the side of the stage. It wasn't until her rebellious teenage years when she was working as waitress in a local cafe that she was exposed to mainstream music; the first record someone gave her was the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers, and she was forever changed. She immediately picked up a guitar and started writing.

Sandrine hit the Australian music scene in 2004 with her first album Trigger (Sony Music Australia), which was released to critical acclaim. The title track made it into the Top 20 of the Australian pop charts and she was named Songwriter of the Year by a major commercial station. Despite glowing reviews and critical support, Sandrine was often stereotyped as a pop confection due to her willowy blonde beauty. "When I would go out to play, people were always surprised by me, almost shocked that I was a real musician," says Sandrine.