 The band was started by violinist Elijah Oberman and bassist Louisa Rachel Solomon after their former band, The Syndicate, broke up.They recruited guitarist Ian Brannigan, a friend they had made through student activism at The New School in Greenwich Village, and drummer Temim Fruchter, whom the three got to know through protesting the Republican National Convention in 2004.After national tours in summer 2006, spring 2007, and late 2007, The Shondes self-released their debut LP, "The Red Sea", on January 8, 2008, and held a record release party at Brooklyn's Luna Lounge.