Mod Amish was born out of the love of pop tunes and ear-splitting noise. While these two things might seem contradictory to some, the Mod Amish stir them together like cereal and milk.
Back in the swamps of south Louisiana, the band was known as Brittle Star, with singer/guitarist Shannon Jones (a one-time EMT paramedic) and guitarist Mike Drake performing relentlessly and building a following throughout the south.
Jones moved to San Diego in 2002, eventually talking former Louisiana bandmate Mike Drake into following him to SoCal. The duo was later joined by James Islas (bass) and Jim Benuska (drums), though the Brittle Star moniker had to be discarded after a Florida band turned out to have recorded an album under that name. Mod Amish debuted in 2006.
After a limited release of their first album, Mod Amish, the more widely-heard No Use for Sunshine, dropped September 25, 2008. Its single "September" landed in regular rotation at Boston's WFNX radio station, after being chosen from among 700 bands entering a rising star competition. In November '08, the album was an Editor's Pick at CDbaby.com.
In January 2009, Mod Amish were named one of UCLA Radio's best unsigned bands of 2008.