Founded in 1998 in Nelson, New Zealand, the band is comprised of vocalist Ruth Minuit (born Ruth Carr) and multi-instrumentalist/producers Paul Dodge and Ryan Beehre. They made their recording debut in 2000 with Luck, a self-released four-track maxi-single. In association with the Auckland-based electronica label Tardus Music, Minuit made their full-length album debut in 2003 with The 88. The album proved fairly popular, reaching number 21 on the New Zealand albums chart, and The Guns (2004), a seven-track EP comprised of new material, remixes, and live recordings, was released in its wake. Minuit reached a larger audience with their second album, The Guards Themselves (2006), which reached number 12 on the charts and spawned the single "Fiji." They began to cultivate an international fan base as well, thanks in part to their live performances and extensive touring. In order to accommodate their European fan base, Minuit established a British outpost, Dollhouse Records, and released I Went to This Party and There Were 88 Guards with Guns (2008), a compilation of their first two albums plus the one-off singles "Except You" (2007) and "A Room Full of Cute" (2008). Confirming their growing stature as one of New Zealand's most popular homegrown musical acts, third album Find Me Before I Die a Lonely Death Dot.com (2009) broke Minuit into the Top Ten for the first time. ~ Jason Birchmeier