Conversation so far:
What are the origins of the band Neutral Milk Hotel?
Jeff Mangum, along with high-school friends Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss, formed The Olivia Tremor Control, with Mangum appearing on their first release, the California Demise 7.
What was the first release of Neutral Milk Hotel?
The first release under the Neutral Milk Hotel moniker was the 1994 EP Everything Is, a short collection of tracks featuring Mangum.
Did Neutral Milk Hotel have a different name when they started?
Before recording for friends under the Neutral Milk Hotel moniker, Mangum recorded a few cassettes under the name Milk; the most well-known was called Pygmie Barn in E Minor.
What were the names of the cassettes recorded by Jeff Mangum under the Milk moniker?
Jeff Mangum recorded a few cassettes under the name Milk; the most well-known of these tapes was called Pygmie Barn in E Minor.
Did the Neutral Milk Hotel produce any hits?
Neutral Milk Hotel released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea in 1998, which became their best-known and most critically acclaimed album.
What other songs were produced on the cassettes by Neutral Milk Hotel?
Jeff Mangum produced several demo cassettes, among them 1991's Invent Yourself a Shortcake, 1992's Beauty (not to be confused with the earlier cassette), and 1993's Hype City Soundtrack
What genre of music did Neutral Milk Hotel play?
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed in Ruston, Louisiana by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the late 1980s.

Question: was the band successful at this time?
Self-contained rewrite: was neutral milk hotel successful during their origins?