The Sisterhood was a project by Andrew Eldritch of the Sisters Of Mercy. The backstory is that he created this project to prevent Wayne Hussey, who had left the band, from naming his new group The Sisterhood; Wayne later named his band The Mission.
After the bitter end of the Sisters Of Mercy and the subsequent musical split, Andrew Eldritch formed The Sisterhood in early 1986 alongside Alan Vega (Suicide), Lucas Fox (Motorhead), Patricia Morrison (The Sisters Of Mercy and The Gun Club), James Ray (Gangwar), and Doktor Avalanche (the drum machine of the Sisters), battling former bandmates Craig Adams and Wayne Hussey for control of the name Sisterhood. The resulting five-track album, "Gift," features the extended mix of the band's first single, Giving Ground, and has become a sought-after classic by many fans.
Andrew Eldritch stated about the album: "The Sisterhood album was a weapon in this corporate war. That's why I called it Gift.
In the middle of 1985, it was Wayne Hussey's turn to leave, accompanied by Craig Adams, after Eldritch categorically rejected his new compositions. The two musicians formed a new band that they named Sisterhood, which is also the name of the oldest fan community of Sisters of Mercy. Eldritch, who does not appreciate his former associates using this name, set up a new musical project with Lucas Fox, James Ray, Patricia Morrison (from The Gun Club), and Alan Vega (not to mention Doktor Avalanche), which he named The Sisterhood. A single, Giving Ground, was quickly released in early 1986 followed by a 5-track album, Gift. Hussey and Adams were thus forced to change the name of their band and chose The Mission. The Mission proved popular with fans of the Sisters and with critics, but hated by Eldritch, who stated that Hussey is one of the worst songwriters he has ever encountered.