Sofa Kit XL

A band from Columbia, Missouri. Sofa Kit XL was formed in 1999, when Shannon Mercer, Brian Coughlin and Steve Ruffin got tired of not touring and making records and decided they would like to be in a three piece band that featured guitar, drums, bass, theremin, keyboards, synths and samples. Brian and Shannon had finished up playing with the Columbia, MO band Ditch Witch. Ditch Witch was signed to Grass Records and Wind-Up Entertainment and that was kind of cool, at the time. Steve Ruffin was a member of the highly lauded and exceptionally cool Columbia band, The Incontinentals. They made a lot of records and had a very good time. Sofa Kit XL released their first record "Day of the Race" in May of 2001. It was recorded in equal parts by Trent Bell (Starlight Mints, Chainsaw Kittens, and … The Flaming Lips) in Norman, OK at his Bell Labs recording compound and Barry Hibdon at Red Boots Recordings in Columbia, MO. The record was released by Minneapolis label –ismist Recordings. Then followed and idyllic time of playing shows with hip bands like, Wheat, the Shins, the Rock-A-Teens, the Apes and other bands, if anyone really cares who a band opens for. Soon, Steve, Brian and Shannon became tired of having all that extra money lying around and began recording with the uber-stylish Mr. Bell, again. What resulted was a record titled "Heated Electronic Break-Up". That record was also released by –ismist Recordings, in May of 2003. SKXL has, since then, done their best to bring their take on theremin driven melodic and bent rock, and or, roll to various parts of the domestic countryside. They are again recording with Mr. Trent Bell.