June of 44

June of 44 is an American rock band which was formed in 1994 from ex-members of Rodan, Lungfish, Rex, and Hoover. The band's name refers to the period during which writers Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin corresponded.The band toured extensively and reached as far as Australia. June of 44 were a collective from 1994 to 2000. All the members were living in different cities at the time. This seminal band created music that ranged from experimental jazz to ambient dub to angular post punk. Debut album Engine Takes to the Water (1995) drew comparisons with both Slint and Will Oldham. The following year's Tropics and Meridians saw the band compared to Tortoise and The For Carnation. Drummer Doug Scharin had started HiM as a side project, which sometimes also featured bassist Fred Erskine, and Scharin also later started the avant-garde band Out in Worship. Meadows also had a side project, forming Sonora Pine with Tara Jane O'Neill. June of 44 released three further albums, incorporating more electronics and jazz influences, before the band split up in 1999, with vocalist/guitarist Jeff Mueller forming Shipping News and vocalist Sean Meadows forming Everlasting the Way and later Letter E. Erskine joined Abilene, while Scharin continued with HiM, also guesting with several other bands.