Many great bands have died without finding any kind of mainstream success. There are countless reasons why these bands do not blow up: their sound is too abstract for radio play, they split for personal reasons before they can be discovered, they do not have the means to tour enough to get their name out, etc. However, it is extremely rare for a band to actively reject their one shot at widespread popularity. Such was the case for Mineral, the Austin, TX emo band that found what they were looking for and decided to throw it away once they got it.Mineral was formed in 1994 by singer/guitarist Chris Simpson. They began as a makeshift version of Sunny Day Real Estate, which was still a bit of a niche sound at the time. Though initially somewhat derivative, they drew from some of the rawer elements of SDRE. The loud/soft dynamic with piercing guitars and driving bass were familiar, but Simpson's voice was much more plaintive than anything you will hear to this day. On many songs, it literally sounds like he is crying while he is singing. The band consolidated all of these things into their first single, "Parking Lot," which finds Simpson gladly accepting his own death: "I wouldn't mind if you took me in my sleep tonight/ I wouldn't even put up a fight." Sure, the lyrics seem a bit melodramatic on paper, but with the full band behind them, the song is an emotional powerhouse.
The "Parking Lot" single got the attention of Crank! Records, who signed Mineral, and sent them into the studio to record their first LP, The Power of Failing, in 1996. This record continued with the sound of "Parking Lot," which they included as the album's closer. However, many of the songs were significantly longer, saturated with extended instrumental sections. The production was very rough, but this only added to the intensity, exaggerating the difference between the pretty, soft parts and the crushing, heavy parts. The band toured relentlessly following the release of this album. During this time, they also released a split 7" with Midwestern emo giants Jimmy Eat World and Sense Field, which increased their popularity exponentially.
By 1998, the band had been touring straight since the release of The Power of Failing. They recieved a great deal of critical praise and built up a buzz that brought every major label knocking at their door. They eventually signed a deal with Interscope Records, but were bound to Crank! for one more record. That summer, they went into the studio with producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182) to record their sophomore LP, EndSerenading. This album featured much crisper, polished production, which lent itself well to Mineral's beatiful arpeggios and sparse drums. Despite the fact that they were finally about to make it to the big leagues, the band decided to break up before they ever got to work with Interscope. In fact, they revealed that the recording process for EndSerenading was extremely difficult, and they almost did not even complete the album.
After the breakup, drummer Gabriel Wiley formed another influential emo group, Pop Unknown, and later released an EP with the proto-screamo group, Kissing Chaos. He also had a brief stint in a band called Imbroco with guitarist Scott David McCarver. Bassist Jeremy Gomez joined Chris Simpson in his new band, The Gloria Record, which was a more indie-leaning version of Mineral. Since they have also disbanded, Simpson is currently working on an indie-folk solo project called Zookeeper. These bands, though all very good in their own ways, will most likely never generate the kind of mainstream hype that Mineral had, and sadly threw away.
Check out "Parking Lot" here:
