Marc Ostermeier on the Legacy of Should

State College 1996 - Photo by Elissa Zurbuchen

In the early 1990s, long before streaming platforms or digital recording made independent music widely accessible, Should emerged from a small circle of home studios and tape machines. Formed in Austin, Texas by songwriter and producer Marc Ostermeier, alongside vocalist Tanya Maus and guitarist Eric Ostermeier, the project began as an experiment in sound rather than a conventional band.

Originally recording under the name shiFt, Ostermeier built songs from fragments of cassette recorded guitar phrases that were sampled and looped through an Ensoniq EPS sampler. Distortion came from overloading a four channel mixer, while structure often grew from repetition and minimalism. The result was an intimate sound that blended shoegaze, slowcore, and experimental pop.

The group’s 1995 debut EP ‘A Folding Sieve’ became a cult landmark of the American shoegaze underground, while 1998’s Feed Like Fishes pushed the project further toward slowcore textures and patient, spacious songwriting. Despite the growing acclaim, Should remained largely a studio project, performing only a handful of shows while focusing almost entirely on recording.

Over the years, the band has resurfaced periodically with releases like Like a Fire Without Sound and The Great Pretend, while Ostermeier continued to pursue music alongside a career in science and academia. Now, with Numero Group revisiting Feed Like Fishes, a new generation of listeners is discovering Should’s influential catalogue.

We spoke to Ostermeier about the band’s unconventional beginnings, recording with loops and limitations, and how those early ideas continue to shape his music today.

Photo by Dan Plunkett

How did you and your brother Eric meet Tanya in the ‘90s to then forming the band?

I had been making music on my own under the name shiFt, releasing self-recorded tapes that leaned heavily toward electronic sounds. Around 1991 or 1992, I became interested in shoegaze. I loved bands like My Bloody Valentine, Pale Saints, and Medicine, but since I didn’t really play guitar, I didn’t think it was something I could do.

Then I heard the Lilys’ first album and something clicked. It sounded like people experimenting in the studio, which was exactly what I liked doing. I had a sampling keyboard with a sequencer, so I started recording small guitar snippets from my brother Eric’s guitar onto cassette and sampling them. I built songs by looping those fragments and experimenting with distortion. That approach became the foundation of the early Should sound.

Tanya came into the picture through my wife. They were friends growing up, and Tanya was actually the maid of honour at our wedding in Austin. When she moved there, I asked if she might want to sing on some songs. She has a great voice, so we tried it and it worked immediately. From there it just naturally evolved into a band.

Why did you change your original band name of shiFt to Should? What did it represent at the time?

By that point I had moved to State College, Pennsylvania. One day I received a cease and desist letter from a major label because another band called Shift was about to release an album. We responded saying we had been using the name for years and had reviews and releases under it.

Eventually they offered us money to stop using the name. We negotiated a bit more and accepted. It wasn’t a difficult decision because we weren’t touring and didn’t really have much name recognition.

So how did the name 'Should' come about?

I wanted something that didn’t have a clear meaning. I’ve always liked the band Wire, and their name feels simple but suggestive. A wire carries electricity, music travels through wires. It’s obvious but also abstract.

I wanted something similar. I didn’t want a descriptive name tied to a genre. ‘Should’ felt mysterious. It makes people wonder why you would name a band that.

Photo by Dan Plunkett

When you were making Feed Like Fishes, what were you trying to capture?

At the time I had become very interested in slowcore and related bands like Low, Bedhead, and Codeine, along with artists like Yo La Tengo and the Wedding Present. I was trying to create music that captured the feeling I loved in those records.

Looking back now, I mostly remember the limitations. I was recording on an eight-track system where everything had to be played correctly. There was no easy way to fix mistakes except to record over that track with a new take, erasing the previous one. Compared to today’s technology it was very restrictive, but those constraints shaped the sound.

Early Should songs were built from sampled cassette guitar loops rather than live gigs. How did that affect the sound?

Those loops naturally led to a minimalist approach. The guitar parts were simple and repetitive, which created a hypnotic quality. That sense of repetition and restraint is something I still carry into my music. Today technology allows me to add many more layers, but I still try to keep that same core idea of simplicity.

You were also releasing music under your own name. What made you pursue both?

I’ve always had a love for instrumental ambient/electronic music, especially if it is a bit experimental or minimal. Around 2008, I decided to start experimenting with making music in that genre. I loved that it freed me from the stress of writing lyrics and singing. It took a while to find a style that I enjoyed and that I felt was, at least to some extent, my own.  

Your solo album The Rules of Another Small World has a cinematic quality. Did you ever consider making music for film?

Not seriously. My main career has been outside music. I’m a professor at Johns Hopkins University and ran a research lab focused on molecular biology and biotechnology. That’s kept me very busy.

I’m about to retire though, so I’m looking forward to having more time for music.

Photo by Dan Plunkett

Should was always more focused on recording than performing. Was that intentional?

Yes. Even when I played in bands in college, I was more interested in recording albums than performing live. I enjoy the studio environment more than the stage.

With Should, we only played four shows. The first was a local college radio battle of the bands where I submitted a tape just out of curiosity. Later we played a few shows connected to the release of A Folding Sieve. But we were never really a traditional band. I’m an introvert and never felt particularly drawn to performing.

Across your catalogue, there’s a strong sense of restraint and patience. Has your relationship to space and silence in music changed since the late ‘90s?

I’ve always liked working within constraints. On my solo album The Rules of Another Small World, I created rules for how the songs could be written and recorded, like having each song start with elements from the previous one.

Technology now gives you endless possibilities, which can make it harder to stay disciplined. Sometimes I listen back and feel like a song would have been better with fewer parts. Recently I’ve been returning to that idea of restraint and simplicity.

With Feed Like Fishes recently reissued by Numero Group, what do you hope first-time listeners understand about where the project began and where it ultimately led?

When I recorded it, I was simply trying to make music inspired by artists I loved. I never imagined it becoming widely known. We released it ourselves on our fledgling label (Words On Music) with no expectations beyond making something creative.

Back then it was difficult for independent music to reach people. Now it’s easy to release music but there’s so much of it. I’m surprised and grateful that people continue to find these records.

Are you planning to release more music?

Yes. I’ve been recording a lot over the past few years under the name Small Black Reptile. It’s more post-punk influenced with a bit of shoegaze. I’ve recorded about two dozen songs in that style.

At the same time, some of the newer material feels closer to the Should sound. Tanya is interested in working together again, so we may eventually release another Should record. The renewed attention around Feed Like Fishes has definitely encouraged us.

Listen to Should on Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, and follow them on Instagram.