Sheer Mag's core members—Christina Halladay, Matt Palmer, and siblings Kyle and Hart Seely—all met while studying at
SUNY Purchase. After graduating they all moved to Philadelphia and formed the band in 2014. They all moved into a house together, referring to their home as 'The Nuthouse', where they recorded their debut self-titled 7-inch EP later that year. It was released on their own label, Wilsons RC, in September 2014. Following its positive reception they went on their first full U.S. tour the next spring, with their EP finding a UK/EU release with London punk label
Static Shock Records - a relationship that would continue for future releases. They released their second EP in April 2015, this time a co-release with Brooklyn label Katorga Works. and performed on
Late Night with Seth Meyers. In early 2017 Wilsons RC and Static Shock released a compilation LP covering all songs from their previous releases. On May 10, 2017, Sheer Mag released the title track off their first full-length record,
Need to Feel Your Love, which came out 14 July. On June 19, 2019, they announced their second LP,
A Distant Call would be released on August 23 the same year. The
RollingStone politics podcast
Useful Idiots uses the same track as its theme music. In August 2023, the band signed with
Third Man Records and shared their first new song in four years, "All Lined Up". Their third album,
Playing Favorites, was released on March 1, 2024. ==Members==