The Jasmine Minks

Most well known for being one of the first bands on Alan McGee's Creation label, the Jasmine Minks were formed in the early '80s with a sound somewhere between jangly psychedelia and punk inclinations and continue to make records based on that same formula. Initially a trio centered around singer Jim Shepard, the band has gone through numerous lineup shuffles throughout their lengthy, bumpy, and ultimately resilient history. Their diverse musical interests, which range from the Buzzcocks and Subway Sect to the more experimental likes of Cabaret Voltaire and DAF, and to more straightforward classics like Motown and Love, prevented them from being a simple pop band. Though most active with frequent singles and album releases throughout the latter half of the '80s, the Jasmine Minks continued making new music sporadically, with new albums arriving in the early 2000s. They delivered We Make Our Own History in 2023, their first full-length LP in 22 years. The Jasmine Minks formed in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1983. Alan McGee signed the band on the strength of witnessing a lengthy rehearsal at the band's Waterloo hideout and picked the songs that would become the band's first single. With organ and production help from Joe Foster and Dave Musker from Television Personalities, the Think! single was released in 1984. After another single, the 1234567 All Good Preachers Go to Heaven EP was released, felt by many to be their finest moment. After plans for a split EP with the Smiths fell through, the Minks went on a European tour with the young Jesus and Mary Chain and McGee's own Biff Bang Pow! Sessions for an EP, which the band felt enthusiastic about, were basically dropped and shaved down for a single. They recorded an LP's worth of material under the working title of Everybody Has Got to Grow Up Sometime, a fitting title for an album that leaned on the classicist songwriting of the Go-Betweens, even going so far as to include more intricate arrangements, horns, and acoustic guitars. However, some of the album was discarded in favor of songs from the preceding EP sessions, interrupting any sense of consistency that the thematic album once had. The 1985 release was eventually given an eponymous title. Shepard soon found himself in the doldrums, unsure of the Minks' future. A young fan named Walter visited him and reinvigorated the band, becoming a new member. Several gigs and a BBC session expanded the Minks' small but dedicated fan base. Having difficulties with Creation boss McGee, the band opted to issue an EP featuring several live tracks on the Esurient label. A less labored process saw the release of the Another Age album, as Shepard delved into his love for gospel and Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys with great focus, putting his own stamp on the influences he and his mates drew from. Gigging with labelmates Primal Scream, the Jazz Butcher, and the House of Love helped Another Age become the band's most successful release. The ill-produced Scratch the Surface was released in 1989 and floundered in the shop racks. Despite containing some of Shepard's finest and darkest songwriting, the record failed to build on the momentum of Another Age. With his frustration coming to a head, Shepard broke his band up. Nine years later, he brought some of his mates back together. A few shows inspired new recordings, including a couple of singles released in 2000, as well as the full-length Veritas, released on Genius Move. Re-teaming with Alan McGee on his Poptones label, Popartglory was issued in 2001. After an EP for Bus Stop ("I Heard I Wish It Would Be Rain") in 2002, the band went back on the shelf. Though their past was expertly revisited by Cherry Red in 2004 with the double-disc The Revenge Of... retrospective, they didn't take advantage of it by re-forming again. They waited until 2010 to reappear with the EP Poppy White (which was actually made up of unreleased demos from the early '90s) for the tiny Oatcake label. The next year they played a couple shows in London. Their 1985 lineup also played at the Indietracks Festival in 2012. In 2017, they returned to full-time status, performing regularly, and writing and recording new songs. After releasing a few new singles as well as some archival radio sessions, the Jasmine Minks released a new full-length studio album, We Make Our Own History, in 2023; it was their seventh proper studio LP -- and first in 22 years -- and continued their rough-edged jangle pop sound.
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