Fall/Winter 1994 - Ben Adrian, the main music writer for deceased bands such as Sunny Sea Heaven and Lockstep, is having the urge to put together a melodic, emotional, noisy but spacey band together. So Ben puts together a band with close friend and bass player Kate Carney, and new found guitar buddy, Eric Shallop. They proceed to hang out and put songs together. In November, they purchase a Yamaha RY-10 to keep beat and act as drummer.

Early 1995 - Ben, Eric and Kate find Corey McCafferty to play drums. Corey was in the local indianapolis punk band, Akira, with Kate. The music turns gothic with Eric's songwriting input. But after a month or two without any progress, the group, who is still unnamed at the time, dissolves. Ben and Kate keep hanging out for other reasons, but contact with Eric fades.

Spring 1995 - Ben gets a four track, and starts recording demos, and ambient songs. He decides that he is going to put out his own tape, and then use the tape to get other band members. Kate, after hearing Ben's work, says that she'll play bass in his upcoming band project.

Meanwhile, Ben's English composition professor tells her class a story about when she was young. Her and her grandmother were out in her grandmother's garden. They were eating sunflower seeds, and her grandmother put some in the ground. To the professor's amazement, huge sunflowers grew from the planting. That is when it really connected to the professor that seeds grew into large plants. This is quite a revelation for a four year old (roughly the professors age at the time). To Ben, it almost seems like a conspiracy. Blammo; Ben scribbles down the phrase that comes to mind, and he has found a name for his project. The professor's name was Gwen Rudie, by the way.

Ben places an ad on many newsgroups, and a few electronic mailing lists stating that he is looking for another guitarist and a drummer to complete the line up for his band. Although he gets many responses, none of the guitarists are available at the moment, so Ben continues to write songs on his four track, and keep an open eye for guitarists.

May 1995 - Barry McCabe, an indianapolis guitarist who responded to Ben's Usenet post two months before, writes Ben and tells him that now that the semester is over, he has time to get a band together, and wants to know if Ben is still interested. Ben immediately says yes, and within a week, Ben, Barry, and Kate schedule a hang out time to play tapes and jam. Sometime in late May or early June, Barry goes over to Ben's house, where Kate spends most of her time, anyway. Ben plays his various four track recordings for Barry. To put it simply, Barry likes them. Then, that same day, they learn some of the songs, and have what one might call a band practice. Although, when presented with the name "The Sunflower Conspiracy", Barry shows dislike.

June 1995 - Ben, Barry, and Kate start having weekly practices with the Yamaha RY-10. Since Kate is vegan and Ben is vegetarian, they think of themselves as herbivores. Barry considers himself an omnivore, and since the drum machine only consumed electrons, it is named Electrovore. Ben is doing most of the songwriting and all of the drum machine programming. They work out the songs Spacetime, originally titled Don't Play F, and the sleepy, droning song which as of now (July 25th)still doesn't have lyrics.

July 1995 - The weekly practices are either in Ben's basement, or in Barry's living room. After one specific practice, the trio goes out for food afterward. After eating, they search for something to do. Somehow, they end up at the Wal-Mart, which in Indiana, is open 24 hours. Ben and Barry go wacky in the toy section, which drives Kate batty. Wal Mart becomes a regular after practice visiting spot when practicing at Barry's. Also during July, they search for a name. They have a big list, but they've narrowed it down to three or four. These are The Sunflower Conspiracy, Venus By Radar, Red Badge Moment, and The Semaphores. After asking quite a few people, and having a band meeting, the somehow realize that they are going to call themselves The Sunflower Conspiracy.

They practice about four times this month, and during the last two practices, Barry starts bringing in some of his own songs. Ben works up some more lyrics and practices singing with the music. They still haven't recorded anything together, however.

August 1995 - This is just a plain, normal month for the members. Ben and Kate take a small vacation to Nashville, TN. they practice about four times. The month ends on a high note when Ben buys his new preamp/processor, a Digitech Valve FX, and Barry buys Ben's old processor, a Digitech RP-1. Kate's Speaker Cabinets are finished being built on the last day of August, but they still await the speakers to be put in the cabinets.

September 1995 - At multiple practices, Ben exclaims "ack"! Ben lays down the drum machine parts to three songs (Spacetime, Parks for Theaters, and Spontaneous Combustion Engine). They are put down to eight track at Simpleton Studios. Barry also lays down a rhythm guitar part to Spacetime. Later that month Ben and Barry finish the guitars to Spacetime. Ben confirms a live show on The Free Zone, a late night radio show on 88.7, WICR, Indianapolis. However, there is no definite date set.
Ben goes on the air at WICR September 30th. He discusses the band, plays some music, and hangs out. They decide on a tentative date of November 4th for the live show on WICR.

October 1995 - More Practicing and recording ensues, but Barry's life gets hectic, as well as Kate's, so there is less activity. Meanwhile, Ben programs more drum parts to some of the older songs that were previously just drum loops.

November 1995-The November 4th radio show on WICR goes all right. It is hectic at first, with many pairs of headphoned crapping out. So the headphones are tossed and they play with just the studio monitors cranked up. It comes off really well and only good comments are received.

On November 18th, The Conspiracy plays a show in Ben's basement. The concept begins as an open practice, but many people show up, so it turns into a small show. Sure, there are only twelve people, plus the three band members, but in Ben's basement, that seems like quite bit. And like the radio show, nothing but good comments are received.

December 1995 - January 1996 - This is a period of immense growth for The Sunflower Conspiracy. They perform at a New Year's Eve party in a sickly state. They play the Emerson, and receive good words, especially from another band playing that night, The Mergrins. They also get very warm responses from crowds at The Village Idiot and Smedley's.

February 1996 - The Conspiracy picks up a second drummer known as Senor Sixteen (aka SR-16). They also play to increasingly larger crowds, and fill Smedley's to maximum capacity on the 10th.
The recording and mixing for the EP is completed with help from Tim Ditchly, a DJ friend from WICR.
The Conspiracy also travels to South Bend, Indiana. More specifically, Mishawaka, to play a show at Cafe Eclectic with the Bloomington based band Black Olive. The trip makes the bands good friends.

March 1996 - The band obtains a slew of shows in March. Ben starts to deal with Independent record/tape/cd production, and is annoyed; extremely annoyed. They play to good responses at Smedley's, the Village Idiot, and Collins, but to a horrendous response at the Emerson. The month of April begins to fill up with shows.
Kate gets a new bass amplifier; a GK 400rb, and is happy with her new wonderful tone.

April 1996 - The Tapes, which are supposed to be out April 11th, are still not received, but they play their tape release show anyway. It is videotaped by Greg for his cable access show, Utrillovision. On April 12th, there is another show at the Village Idiot in Broad Ripple.
April 13th there is a large battle of the bands show at Fountain Square Theater in Indianapolis. Fountain Square Theater is a huge old ballroom/theater that was shut down for a long time. Now it's open again, and doing shows. It's a great place, large and dark.
April 14th we played a moving show for Tim D. at his old house. It sold soon after, but it was neat to play for about 10 people in an empty living room.
The next weekend boasts two great shows. The first is the sparsely attended but very exciting show with Black Olive and The Living Daylights at the Sitcom on April 26th. The second is the latter of the two Battle of the Bands shows on the 27th. The Conspiracy didn't win. Basically, The Conspiracy isn't Green Day enough for the teens. Other such losers are The Mergrins, The Ohrts (a great ska band), and Bliss Ave.

Then there are Finals for school.

May 1996 - May begins with the best Smedley's show ever. The place is beyond capacity, and the band plays very well.
However, the apex of the month is the May 25th show at A-1 Records with Black Olive and The Mergrins. The show, in Anderson, Indiana, is expected to be average, but the turnout is quite good. The crowd seems to really like The Mergrins and The Sunflower Conspiracy, but Black Olive seems to have the power to make everyone go eat. They play well, but are probably too much for the Anderson crowd to handle.
The first official recording, the EP Silver Satin Grey, is released independently on cassette format on May 7th.

June 1996 - September 1996 - The Conspiracy play many shows, sell tapes, and just basically promote themselves as much as possible. The also send out tapes to many label and gain the interest of a few in particular.