When the four friends graduated high school, they dispersed to different cities in the United States, but continued to mail tapes to each other. Schneider moved to Denver, Colorado and formed a band called the Apples in 1992 with Jim McIntyre, Hilarie Sidney and Chris Parfitt. Doss, Hart, and Mangum moved to Athens, Georgia. The three were drawn to the city's burgeoning music scene, and played in a band called the Synthetic Flying Machine. While in Athens, the group began collaborating with New York musician Julian Koster. In 1993, the Synthetic Flying Machine evolved into a band called the Olivia Tremor Control, and the band gained local attention for their psychedelic sound, which was in contrast to the prevalent grunge sound of the 1990s.
Schneider created a record label called the Elephant 6 Recording Company as a vehicle for the Apples music, and in 1993, the first recording released on the label was an extended play titled Tidal Wave. Around this time, Mangum left the Olivia Tremor Control, and became a vagabond. While living in Seattle, Mangum released the song "Everything Is" on Cher Doll Records in 1994, and was the first member of the collective to have their music released on a mainstream label, although the release was not directly affiliated with the Elephant 6 collective and did not feature the Elephant 6 logo. Mangum released the song under the name Neutral Milk Hotel. The Apples were later known as the Apples in Stereo.
The mid-to-late 1990s saw the greatest amount of activity for the collective. The three main bands associated with Elephant 6 at the time–the Apples in Stereo, the Olivia Tremor Control, and Neutral Milk Hotel–grew in popularity, and each respectively released a notable album: Fun Trick Noisemaker, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle, and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. The A.V. Club wrote highly of In the Aereoplane Over the Sea, saying it "is the culmination of everything the [Elephant 6] collective was about in the mid-'90s: distinctive, ragged, catchy records ripped straight from their makers' veins."
Many bands associated with the collective were formed during this period, and Athens became a major hub city. Elf Power, of Montreal, and Doss' solo project the Sunshine Fix were among the more notable Athens based groups. of Montreal frontperson Kevin Barnes said: "The heyday, most of the late 1990s, everyone was involved in each others lives, and we would collaborate more, have dinners where everyone would make something." Schneider compares this period to the Summer of Love, and said the driving force for many of the bands was "out-weirding [their] neighbor" with their music. Elephant 6 bands would tour with each other, the larger bands allowed the smaller bands to open for them.
Denver was the smaller of the two hub cities. In addition to the Apples in Stereo, the major bands from Denver were the Minders, Dressy Bessy, and McIntyre's solo project Von Hemmling. The main draw for Elephant 6 bands in Denver was Pet Sounds Studio, a recording studio Schneider built in McIntyre's house. Many Elephant 6 albums were recorded at Pet Sounds, and were produced by Schneider. In addition to the two main hub cities, Elephant 6 bands began forming in various cities in the United States, such as the Essex Green and the Ladybug Transistor in Brooklyn, and Beulah in San Francisco.
In the early 2000s, Elephant 6 stagnated in activity. Neutral Milk Hotel member and the Gerbils frontman Scott Spillane identifies the sudden uptick of bands across the country as an important factor to this period. "At the time the Elephant 6 thing was getting out of hand, and we started seeing all of these bands that had little Elephant 6 logos on them all over the place" said Spillane. Bands began to tour more often, and the members had less time to interact with each other. Additionally, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Olivia Tremor Control went on hiatus. Mangum became reclusive as he struggled to cope with his newfound stardom, while the members of the Olivia Tremor Control wanted to record their own solo music.
The official Elephant 6 website lists forty-seven acts associated with the collective, although Shook Jr. reports there are more than fifty. Among the collective's more notable acts include:
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Heater 2012; Shook 2013 - Heater, Brian (July 31, 2012). "Elephant 6 Recording Company: Crash Course". Spin. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.spin.com/2012/07/elephant-6-recording-company-crash-course/
Cooper 2005, p. 16. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009, p. 94. - Ballance, Laura; Cook, John; McCaughan, Mac (2009). Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-1-5651-2968-9.
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009, p. 94. - Ballance, Laura; Cook, John; McCaughan, Mac (2009). Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-1-5651-2968-9.
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Cooper 2005, p. 25. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Cooper 2005, p. 25. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Heater 2006; Cooper 2005, p. 26 - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Cooper 2005, p. 29. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009, p. 96. - Ballance, Laura; Cook, John; McCaughan, Mac (2009). Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-1-5651-2968-9.
Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009, p. 96. - Ballance, Laura; Cook, John; McCaughan, Mac (2009). Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-1-5651-2968-9.
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Gilmer & Murray 2012. - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Cooper 2005, p. 32. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Cooper 2005, p. 32. - Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. 33⅓. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1690-X.
Shook 2013; Gilmer & Murray 2012 - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Heater 2012; Shook 2013 - Heater, Brian (July 31, 2012). "Elephant 6 Recording Company: Crash Course". Spin. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.spin.com/2012/07/elephant-6-recording-company-crash-course/
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2006. - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Heater 2006; Shook 2013 - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Heater 2012. - Heater, Brian (July 31, 2012). "Elephant 6 Recording Company: Crash Course". Spin. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.spin.com/2012/07/elephant-6-recording-company-crash-course/
Heater 2006; Shook 2013 - Heater, Brian (June 22, 2006). "I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant 6 Collective". PopMatters. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/060623-elephant6-1-2496104687.html
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Hilton 2008. - Hilton, Robin (October 27, 2008). "The Elephant 6 Orchestra In Concert". NPR. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2008/10/27/96105602/the-elephant-6-orchestra-in-concert
Hilton 2008. - Hilton, Robin (October 27, 2008). "The Elephant 6 Orchestra In Concert". NPR. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2008/10/27/96105602/the-elephant-6-orchestra-in-concert
Thiessen 2009; Shook 2013 - Thiessen, Brock (May 22, 2009). "Olivia Tremor Control Back Together and Recording". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 24, 2020. http://exclaim.ca/music/article/olivia_tremor_control_back_together_recording
Shook 2013; Peisner 2018 - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Claymore 2017. - Claymore, Gabriela Tully (June 22, 2017). "The Apples In Stereo's Robert Schneider Working On Unfinished Olivia Tremor Control Recordings". Stereogum. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.stereogum.com/1948415/the-apples-in-stereos-robert-schneider-working-on-unfinished-olivia-tremor-control-recordings/news/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Bloom 2019; Gilmer & Murray 2012; Shook 2013 - Bloom, Madison (August 19, 2019). "Elephant 6 Documentary Is Out Now ... On VHS". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 26, 2020. https://pitchfork.com/news/elephant-6-documentary-is-out-nowon-vhs/
Dillon 2012, p. 136. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8.
Gilmer & Murray 2012; Anon. 2009; Anon. 2016 - Gilmer, Marcus; Murray, Noel (February 16, 2012). "Elephant 6". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.avclub.com/elephant-6-1798230103
Dillon 2012, p. 136. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8.
Cannon 2019; Shook 2013 - Cannon, Sean (August 19, 2019). "Inside the VHS-Only Documentary About the Most Mysterious Music Collective Ever". The Outline. Retrieved November 26, 2020. https://theoutline.com/post/7820/elephant-6-documentary-chad-stockfleth-rob-schneider?zd=1&zi=6s4ysmpz
Anon. 2016; Aston & Beaumont 2011 - Anon. (September 21, 2016). "Elephant 6 & Friends Reflect On The Legacy Of The Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk At Cubist Castle". Stereogum. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.stereogum.com/1895598/elephant-6-friends-reflect-on-the-legacy-of-the-olivia-tremor-controls-dusk-at-the-cubist-castle/interviews/
Aston & Beaumont 2011. - Aston, Martin; Beaumont, Mark (March 10, 2011). "From Elephant 6 to Deerhunter: The US's new psychedelia". The Guardian. Retrieved November 26, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/mar/10/elephant-6-jeff-mangum-deerhunter
Shook 2013; Gilmer & Murray 2012; Cannon 2019 - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Shook 2013. - Shook, Lee M. Jr. (October 11, 2013). "Interstellar Pop Underground: A History of the Elephant 6 Collective". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/interstellar-pop-underground-a-history-of-the-elep/
Murphy 2015. - Murphy, Tom (July 28, 2015). "Elephant 6's Importance to '90s Indie Pop, the Denver Scene and Beyond". Westword. Retrieved November 26, 2020. https://www.westword.com/music/denvers-best-choirs-11846768
Aston & Beaumont 2011. - Aston, Martin; Beaumont, Mark (March 10, 2011). "From Elephant 6 to Deerhunter: The US's new psychedelia". The Guardian. Retrieved November 26, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/mar/10/elephant-6-jeff-mangum-deerhunter
"The Elephant 6 Recording Co". Rotten Tomatoes. August 25, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_elephant_6_recording_co
Anon. n.d.; Shook 2013 - Anon. (n.d.). "Artists". Elephant 6. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://elephant6.com/artists/