Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices (GBV) is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted of Pollard (lead vocals), his brother Jim (guitar, bass), Mitch Mitchell (lead guitars), Tobin Sprout (vocals, rhythm guitars), Kevin Fennell (drums), and bassist Greg Demos. Noted at first for its lo-fi aesthetic and Portastudio four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music was influenced by early post–British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock and post-punk. The band has had a prolific output, releasing 35+ full-length albums along with many other releases, and has garnered a dedicated cult following. Their songs are known for their frequent brevity and for ending abruptly or intertwining with homemade sound effects.
Guided by Voices
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
- 1983–2004
- 2010–2014
- 2016–present
Mitch Mitchell
Tobin Sprout
Jim Pollard
Timothy Payton Earick
Kevin Fennell
Don Thrasher
Greg Demos
Dave Swanson
Jim Macpherson
Nate Farley
Tim Tobias
Dan Toohey
James Greer
Chris Slusarenko
Jon McCann
Leland Cain
Paul Comstock
Nick Mitchell
Steve Wilbur
Guided by Voices initially disbanded in 2004. In 2010 the "classic" lineup reunited to perform at Matador Records' 21st anniversary party, subsequently touring and releasing six new albums. GBV broke up a second time in 2014, but Pollard again rebooted the band with a new album and a new lineup in 2016.
