Yet another branch of the Elephant 6 collective's family tree, the Minders are led by singer/songwriter Martyn Leaper, a British expatriate living in Denver, Colorado. There he befriended Apples in Stereo frontman Robert Schneider, who agreed to release the Minders' debut EP, Come on and Hear!!, on Elephant 6 in the spring of 1996. Leaper assembled a full-blown band for the follow-up 7", Paper Plane, tapping drummer Rebecca Cole, guitarist Jeff Almond, and bassist Jeff Richardson; bassist Marc Willhite replaced Richardson in time for Rocket 58, issued on 100 Guitar Mania in the autumn of 1997. The Minders' first full-length effort, Hooray for Tuesday, appeared a year later; soon after the band splintered as Leaper and Cole relocated to Portland, Oregon, where they assembled a new lineup also featuring lead guitarist Adam Goldman, bassist Bryce Edwards, and keyboardist Rachel Blumberg. The Minders' early singles were compiled in 1999 on Cul-de-Sacs & Dead Ends. The Down in Fall EP followed a year later. A third studio effort, Golden Street, emerged in spring 2001. Subsequent long-players include 2003's The Future's Always Perfect, 2004's tour-only release The Stolen Boy, 2006's It's a Bright Guilty World, and 2013's digital-only Cul-de-Sacs & Dead Ends, Vol. 2.

Jason Ankeny
AllMusic.com