Neutral Milk Hotel is an American indie rock band, centering around its chief lyricist and songwriter, Jeff Mangum, who, on the band's two full-length albums, plays with a number of other musicians, notably Jeremy Barnes ( drums), Scott Spillane (horns), Julian Koster ( banjo/ bass guitar/saw) and producer-instrumentalist Robert Schneider. Neutral Milk Hotel is a part of the Elephant Six Collective, based out of Athens, Georgia.
The band's sound and approach have been influential in indie rock, drawing comparisons in the music press with later bands such as The Decemberists and The Arcade Fire.
Jeff Mangum was a member of the Olivia Tremor Control, along with his friend Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss, appearing on their first release, the California Demise 7".
Neutral Milk Hotel began life simply as a recording project for Mangum, in the early 1990's. He produced several demo cassettes, among them 1991's Invent Yourself a Shortcake, 1992's Beauty and 1993's Hype City Soundtrack, along with two more from this period, seemingly unnamed. Although easily found on the internet, these demos capture the project at a very embryonic state: songs are played in between various sound collages and tape experiments, and even, at one point, a six minute conversation between Mangum and Hart.
During this period, Mangum was wandering the country, staying in the closets of friends, and in a state of permanent unemployment. It was in these circumstances that the band's first formal releases took shape. Strictly speaking, however, the 'band' usually consisted of Mangum and whomever else was present at the time. This is obvious on Neutral Milk Hotel's first release, a 7" entitled Everything Is, recorded when Mangum was spending time in Seattle, Washington, released on Cher Doll Records in 1994.
