12 Rods

Formed during the middle of 1992 in Ohio as a post-new wave unit, 12RODS started life under the name Ryan's Bihg Hed to salute frontman Ryan Olcott. The addition of synth player/guitarist Ev and drummer Christopher McGuire later locked in both the enduring band name and its settled lineup. An early demo secured studio time in Minneapolis, which yielded the full-length debut Bliss. The 1996 EP Gay? drew the notice of V2, prompting the label to sign 12RODS as its first American act and to issue the major-label debut Split Personalities in 1998. Todd Rundgren produced the follow-up Separation Anxieties, which surfaced in the summer of 2000.