1988: Mind Sirens formed in the fall of '88. Bill McCormick (ex-Georgetown Station) met Brian at the final Other Bright Colors show in September at UNC's St. Anthony's Hall. The idea initially was for Bill to back up Brian and play O.B.C. songs...but Brian soon wanted to form a new three-piece group. A few names passed around were "Ant Farm", "Belief in Mexican Food", "Dark Bellied Cloud" as well as "Big Puffy Pink Clouds of Joy."
Eventually they added Jeff Spillers on Bass and after a few weeks they played their first show as "Look Both Ways". The show was at the Artcenter, back when it was still in Carr Mill Mall - The Veldt headlined.
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Bill McCormick |
Jeff Spillers |
Brian Butler |
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- Spring 1989 |
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Bill, eventually, with his theory of ROCK BAND NAME PHONETICS, came up with "Mind Sirens."
Mind Sirens played a lot of shows with Southern Culture and the Skids, Superchunk, Majosha (which was Ben Fold's funk band), Teasing the Korean, and Blue Chair. A few of the larger shows included The Screaming Trees, Miracle Legion, The Fluid, and Nova Mob (Grant Hart from Husker Du.
April 1 and 2, 1989: A few songs were recorded with Noah Evens. One was a candidate for WXYC's Demolisten Volume One. However, Jeff Spillers quit and was replaced with ex-Ugly American's Chris Eubank.
Summer, 1989: Chris quit at this point and went on to play in Blue Chair (and he's now in Sharkquest and Spatula). Paige Ivey, who had been playing in Zen Frisbee (see Jettison's "Jack" single), replaced him.
Bill, Brian and Paige Ivey out at Chicken Bridge.
Summer 1990: Can See This Time single is recorded. The whole record was engineered by Ivey out in Chatham County in a house that she was renting from Laird Dixon's mom.
January 1991: Jettison Records forms and Head Stomach Highway single is recorded.
