12 Rods
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis , United States |
| Products | Indie rock music |
12 Rods—sometimes written as 12RODS or Twelve Rods—was an American indie rock group that originated in Oxford, Ohio in 1992. The band moved to Minneapolis in 1995 and continued their activities there until their dissolution in 2004.
After a one-time reunion in 2015, lead vocalist Ryan Olcott reactivated the band in 2021, releasing the album If We Stayed Alive and embarking on a tour with new members. In June 2025, Olcott announced on Instagram that the band had disbanded once again due to issues with member compliance.
1992: Origins
The formation of 12 Rods took place in Oxford, Ohio, in May 1992, initiated by high schooler Ryan Olcott along with his friends Christopher McGuire, Matt Flynn, and Daniel Perlin. Initially called Ryan'z Bihg Hed—a name inspired by Olcott’s rehearsal antics—the band performed at a local graduation event and issued a cassette named Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz. After briefly breaking up, Olcott teamed up with McGuire, Flynn, and Daniel Burton-Rose to create 12RODS, a name inspired by a passage from a children's Bible.
1993–1995: Early career and move
Their debut album as 12 Rods, titled Bliss, was self-released in 1993. Although still based in Oxford at the time, the recording took place in Minneapolis. Upon relocating to Minneapolis in 1995, they followed up with the EP gay? in 1996, which garnered notable attention after receiving an exceptionally rare perfect 10.0 score from Pitchfork. This recognition significantly enhanced their standing within the indie music community and increased their visibility among critics and audiences.
1996–2000: V2 Records period
In 1996, 12 Rods became the first American band to be signed by V2 Records, a label under Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Their album gay? was reissued as their initial major-label release. Their subsequent album, Split Personalities (1998), earned a spot on Pitchfork's early list of top albums from the 1990s. During this period, Minneapolis-based musician Bill Shaw joined as bassist and remained until the group's conclusion.[1]
The year 2000 saw the release of Separation Anxieties, produced by Todd Rundgren. However, band members expressed dissatisfaction with Rundgren’s limited involvement during production:
Following disappointing critical reception and poor sales of this album, V2 Records dropped the group. After recording sessions for Separation Anxieties, drummer David King replaced McGuire.[1]
2000–2004: Independent phase and breakup
Guitarist Jake Hansen joined the lineup in 2002. In 2003, George Marich took over drumming duties from King due to King’s commitments with The Bad Plus. The band independently released their final album, Lost Time (2002), before officially disbanding in 2004.[1]
After disbandment
Following the split, Ryan Olcott pursued solo projects under the names Foodteam and c.Kostra while establishing himself as a record producer based in Minneapolis. Ev Olcott became involved with Halloween, Alaska and The Few Nice Words and co-founded the audio software firm Audiofile Engineering. Christopher McGuire collaborated with artists such as Kid Dakota and John Vanderslice, while Matt Flynn continued performing with Cincinnati-based ensembles including The Matt Flynn Jazz Trio. Bill Shaw revived Post Mortem Grinner and also played with The Few Nice Words and Halloween, Alaska. David King remained active with groups like Happy Apple, The Bad Plus, Halloween, Alaska, and Dave King Trucking Company.
2011–present: Reissues and reunions
On September 7, 2011, Justin Vernon's label Chigliak announced plans to release an album by 12 Rods during its inaugural vinyl release cycle starting May 22, 2012; this began with Amateur Love's It's All Aquatic, produced by Ev Olcott.
On October 8, 2014, via Facebook, 12 Rods revealed that Chigliak would reissue Lost Time on January 20, 2015. The band also confirmed a reunion concert at Minneapolis's First Avenue on January 16, 2015. This performance featured Ryan Olcott along with Ev Olcott, Christopher McGuire, Matthew Foust, Matt Flynn, Tal Tahir, Bill Shaw, Dave King, and Jake Hanson.
The reunion show was filmed by James Francis Flynn for a documentary titled "Accidents Waiting to Happen," inspired by Martin Scorsese’s "The Last Waltz." Funded through Kickstarter contributions, it premiered at the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival in April 2017.
In September 2021, Ryan Olcott announced on Facebook that he was independently producing a new record for 12 Rods without external backing or funding.
On June 20, 2023, a revamped lineup was unveiled on Facebook alongside the single "Twice," marking the third release from their forthcoming album If We Stayed Alive, scheduled for release on July 7 via Bandcamp.
July 2023 saw the group’s first live performance featuring new members Lars Oslund (guitar), Adri Mehra (bass), Alec Tonjes (drums), and Efren Maldonado (keyboards) at First Avenue; this coincided with an announcement of a U.S. tour.
Efren Maldonado passed away unexpectedly in June 2024 at age 49.
In April 2025, Ryan Olcott launched a Patreon offering exclusive content related to 12 Rods and spoke about composing new material. Nevertheless, on June 14, 2025 social media posts disclosed that all members had been dismissed due to "insubordination," putting the band on indefinite hiatus.
Members
Current members
- Ryan Olcott – lead vocals, guitar (1992–2004, 2015, 2021–)
Former members
- Alec Tonjes – drums (2023–2025)
- Lars Oslund – guitar (2023–2025)
- Adri Mehra – bass (2023–2024)
- Efren Maldonado – keyboards (2023–2024)
- Ev Olcott – synthesizer, guitar, backing vocals (1992–2004, 2015)
- Daniel Burton-Rose – guitar (1992)
- Matt Flynn – bass guitar (1992–1994)
- Matthew Foust – bass guitar (1994–1996)
- William Shaw – bass guitar (1998–2004)
- Christopher McGuire – drums (1992–1999)
- David King – drums (2000–2004)
Former touring members
- George Marich – drums (2003–2004)
- Jacob Hansen – guitar (2002–2004)
- Alejandro Urzagaste – bass guitar (1998)
- Tal Tahir – bass guitar (1997)
Discography
Studio albums
- Bliss (1993)
- Split Personalities (1998)
- Separation Anxieties (2000)
- Lost Time (2002)
- If We Stayed Alive (2023)
EPs
- A Very Special Christmas (1995)
- Gay? (1996)
Compilations
- Unreleased Vol. 1–6 (2004)
Live albums
- Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz (1992)
- Last Show: First Avenue (2004)
- Reunion Show: First Avenue (2015)
- 2004-05-29 Big Wu Family Reunion (2025)
References
- Pitchfork [1]
- [12 Rods.] Allmusic
External links
- Rock bands originating from Minnesota
- Musical acts based in Minneapolis
- Artists signed to V2 Records
- Butler County, Ohio
- Rock bands from Ohio
- Musical groups formed in 1992
- Musical groups that disbanded in 2004
- American five-member musical groups
- American four-member musical groups
- American three-member musical groups
- Musical groups disestablished in 2004