BIOGRAPHY
The Shins formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, growing out of James Mercer's earlier band Flake Music before he launched The Shins as a side project in 1997. Mercer has remained the band's sole constant member through multiple lineup changes. Their 2001 debut, Oh, Inverted World, broke through largely on the strength of "New Slang," later immortalized in the 2004 film Garden State; the album was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA in 2023, one of only three Sub Pop releases to reach that mark alongside Nirvana's Bleach and the Postal Service's Give Up. 2003's Chutes Too Narrow drew near-unanimous critical praise, scoring 88 on Metacritic from 28 reviews. Wincing the Night Away (2007) pushed the band to #2 on the Billboard 200 and brought Grammy nominations. After parting ways with the original lineup, Mercer continued under The Shins name with Port of Morrow (2012) and Heartworms (2017).