1992–1993: Formation, Aviary, early demos Rodan formed in
Louisville, Kentucky, in 1992 by Jason Noble and
Jeff Mueller, who had met in high school and art school. After quickly passing through drummers Jon Cook and John Weiss, the band's roster was solidified by the addition of Kevin Coultas in 1993. In 1993, they recorded their
Aviary demo, which saw limited release. Later that year, two songs from
Aviary, "Milk and Melancholy" and "Exoskeleton", were rerecorded and released as
How the Winter Was Passed. The band would additionally appear on the
Simple Machines Records compilation
The Machines: 1990-1993. They would contribute the song "Darjeeling' and would appear with various other prominent indie and post-hardcore bands such as
Jawbox and
Superchunk. The band was close to the label although they never signed, contributing to several compilations and playing at the label's Working Holiday festival.
1994: Rusty and Half-Cocked Six of the songs on the
Aviary demo were re-recorded by
Bob "Rusty" Weston (of
Shellac fame), and released in 1994 as the album
Rusty. The band starred in the 1994
cult road movie Half-Cocked; they also contributed music to the film's soundtrack. The band also had a
Peel session in 1995. These releases and sessions would help to foster a cult following for the band.
1995–present: Disbandment and post-Rodan projects Rodan broke up in 1995, with the members pursuing other musical interests. Mueller co-founded the band
June of 44 in 1994. O'Neil played in the bands The King Cobra, The Naysayer, and
Retsin. Noble played in the
chamber music group
Rachel's which also featured contributions from Coultas and Mueller. Mueller and Noble also co-founded the band
Shipping News in 1996 which was active until Noble's death in 2012. Noble was also part of the band Per Mission. In 1996, O'Neil recruited Coultas to work with her on
The Sonora Pine which disbanded the next year after releasing two albums. Weiss was part of the band Sunspring and Cook was active in the bands
Crain and Cerebellum. In
Fearless, Jeanette Leech's book on the history of the
post-rock genre, Rodan is discussed in the chapter on the Louisville scene. On August 4, 2012, Jason Noble died from
synovial sarcoma. Original drummer Jon Cook died on February 9, 2013. Before he died, Noble would help create a final compilation of the band's music,
Fifteen Quiet Years, released on June 11, 2023. == Musical style ==