Eels

Eels is an American rock band from Los Feliz, in the United States. The group is active from 1995 and works in alternative rock, chamber pop, downtempo, indie folk, indie pop and indie rock.

Formation and early work

The band forms in Los Angeles in 1991 around singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett, who performs as E. Before Eels exists as a band, Everett releases solo material under the name E, including A Man Called E in 1992 and Broken Toy Shop in 1993. Jonathan “Butch” Norton begins collaborating with him in 1993.

Eels is officially formed when Butch and E meet Tommy Walter. The name is chosen so the band’s releases sit near E’s solo records in alphabetical listings. The group becomes one of the first acts to sign to DreamWorks Records.

Debut and early success

Eels releases its debut album, Beautiful Freak, in 1996. The singles “Novocaine for the Soul”, “Susan’s House” and “Your Lucky Day in Hell” gain modest national and international attention. The band wins Best International Breakthrough Act at the 1998 BRIT Awards. During this period the group tours widely in the United States and Europe and develops a live reputation.

Walter leaves the band in 1997. From then on, Everett remains the only official member for much of the group’s work, while the line-up changes between studio and stage.

Albums and changing line-ups

Electro-Shock Blues follows in 1998 and reflects difficult personal experiences in Everett’s life, including the death of his sister and his mother’s cancer diagnosis. The album addresses cancer, mental illness, suicide and death. It includes contributions from Jon Brion, Lisa Germano, Jim Jacobsen, Grant-Lee Phillips, Michael Simpson and T-Bone Burnett. “Last Stop: This Town” sees minor success, and “Cancer for the Cure” appears on the soundtrack to American Beauty.

Daisies of the Galaxy arrives in 2000 and is recorded almost entirely in Everett’s basement. It has a lighter tone than the previous album. Michael Simpson, Grant-Lee Phillips and Peter Buck contribute in the studio. “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues” is included as a bonus track after the record label insists on its inclusion. For the supporting shows, the band expands into a six-piece arrangement that includes Lisa Germano and Probyn Gregory, and it plays its first concerts in Australia.

Souljacker is released in 2001 with a heavier, more rock-oriented sound. John Parish co-writes most of the songs and plays guitar on the album and the first part of the tour. Joe Gore later replaces him for the American leg, while Koool G Murder plays bass and keyboards on tour. In 2003, Shootenanny! is recorded live in the studio in ten days. It marks a change in the drum role, with Puddin’ replacing Butch, and the live touring line-up also includes Goldenboy and Koool G Murder. That year Everett also composes the score for the film Levity.

Mid-2000s releases and live formats

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations is released in 2005 as the band’s first album for Vagrant Records. It is a 33-track double album with contributions from Tom Waits, Peter Buck, John Sebastian, Jim Jacobsen and Butch. The first tour for the album presents an acoustic and chamber-style version of the band under the name Eels with Strings. This line-up features Everett with Allen “Big Al” Hunter, Jeffrey Lyster, known as The Chet, and a string quartet. A live release from the tour, Eels with Strings: Live at Town Hall, follows in 2006.

In 2008, the band releases its first greatest-hits compilation, Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. I, alongside Useless Trinkets, a set of B-sides, rarities, soundtrack singles and unreleased tracks. The group tours as An Evening With Eels, with only The Chet joining Everett on stage. The concerts also include readings from Everett’s autobiography, Things the Grandchildren Should Know. The live package Live and in Person! documents a 2006 performance at the London Astoria.

Concept trilogy and later studio albums

Hombre Lobo appears in 2009. Its title refers to a werewolf and to Everett’s long beard. “Fresh Blood” and “That Look You Give That Guy” are promoted from the album, and the live EP The Myspace Transmissions Session 2009 is also released. End Times follows in 2010, recorded largely on a four-track recorder and shaped around broken love. Tomorrow Morning is presented as the final part of a trilogy with Hombre Lobo and End Times, and the touring line-up includes The Chet, Koool G Murder, Knuckles on drums and P-Boo on guitar.

Wonderful, Glorious comes out in 2013. The singles include “Peach Blossom” and “New Alphabet”, and the band also releases the parody video “Cold Dead Hand”, with Jim Carrey on vocals in place of Everett. In 2014, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett is released on E Works Records. The following year, the band issues the DVD and double live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall. It also records a version of Melanie De Biasio’s “I Feel You”, later used in connection with the film Alien: Covenant.

The Deconstruction follows in 2018, with themes of rebuilding and looking back on what has gone wrong. The band tours the United States and Europe in support of it. Earth to Dora is released in 2020, preceded by the single pair “Baby Let’s Make It Real” and “Who You Say You Are”. Extreme Witchcraft arrives in 2022 and is produced by E and John Parish, who work together again after Souljacker.

Members and collaborators

Over the years, the band’s roster includes Tommy Walter, E, Butch, Adam Siegel, John Parish, Koool G Murder, Joe Gore, Shon Sullivan, Puddin’, The Chet, Knuckles, P-Boo and Big Al. E remains the central figure throughout, while the group frequently changes between studio musicians and live players.

Themes and writing

Eels’ songs often deal with family, death and unrequited love. Across its albums, the band also works in broader personal themes such as loss, rebuilding, desire and redemption.