Gerbils is an
Athens,
Georgia band that is related to the
Elephant 6 Recording Company collective. Their sound is classified as
lo-fi psychedelic indie-pop (whew!). The bandmembers are as follows:
The members met each other while attending school in
Ruston,
Louisiana, where Spillane and D'Azzo started the band
Smilin' Joe Fission with
violinist
John Fernandes (
Olivia Tremor Control) and
Ross Beach (
guitars) in
1992.
After a series of lineup modifications, they released their first demo (at the time with Beach as well as cellist Penny Burbank, who later joined Azalia Snail). After releasing a few singles on labels like Spare Me and Earworm, they released their debut full length Are You Sleepy? on Hidden Agenda in 1998. Are You Sleepy? combines the previous singles, as well as 5 previously unreleased tracks, which were recorded in Austin, Texas and San Francisco, California during 1996, and distributed on cassette tapes in 1997.
The members of Gerbils occasionally play with Olivia Tremor Control and as backing band for Neutral Milk Hotel.