Wheeler's career in music began at university in a cover band called Melt City, alongside Hal Ritson, now of The Young Punx, Kev Dowd, now of Lowbrow, James Woods, now of Jam Sandwich and Dom Wilhelm, (of 1990s UK pop punk act Satellite Beach). On arriving in London she joined indie band Junk, subsequently renamed Treehouse, well known on the Camden & Islington gig circuit (The Dublin Castle, Bull & Gate, the Laurel Tree, the Hope & Anchor, Islington).
In 1998 Wheeler responded to an audition for a "girl band" Virginia, masterminded by record producer Ian Shaw (founder of Warm Fuzz Records) and then consisting of Louise Miller and Lee Winnick, the latter shortly afterwards replaced by Laura Matthews. Virginia featured repeatedly as guests on BBC Radio, particularly Janice Long, Jonathan Ross, Gyles Brandreth, Nicky Campbell and Ned Sherrin, as well as TV appearances in Northern Ireland on the Benny Hill Show. Tracks from Virginia's first album Firstbite had chart success in the US Billboard charts.[citation needed]
In 2002 her work with London gospel band Citizen K led to an introduction to Dave Hemingway of the Beautiful South. After working on Hemingway's as yet unreleased solo album, Hemingway promised a recommendation to the Beautiful South's driving force, Paul Heaton, since a new album was in the making, despite the unexpected departure of former band member Jacqui Abbott. By 2003, with the release of "Gaze", Wheeler was a member of the band, appearing live first at a Carling Homecoming at the Welly Club in Hull on 18 September 2003. Gaze was followed by albums "Goldiggas Headnodders and Pholk Songs" and "Superbi".
She was dubbed Alison 'Lady' Wheeler jokingly by her bandmates in The Beautiful South who felt that her demeanour and education at Trinity College, Cambridge was in contrast to the band's trademark working-class northern image.
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