Marshmallow Coast, an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective, was formed in 1996 in Denver, Colorado, by singer-songwriter Andy Gonzales. Their first release was a self-titled cassette recorded by Gonzales at age 18. The band released their album, Seniors & Juniors, in 1999 on Kindercore Records. Subsequent albums included Ride the Lightning, produced by Derek Almstead and released in 2001, and Antistar (2003). In 2005, the group underwent changes, including a name change to M Coast and the addition of Emily Growden and Carlton Owens. They released Say It in Slang on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in 2006 before disbanding in 2007. Gonzales reverted the name back to Marshmallow Coast and returned with Phreak Phantasy in 2009, followed by a re-recording of their 1999 album titled Seniors & Juniors Strikes Back in 2011.