Grinderman was formed by vocalist and guitarist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey and drummer Jim Sclavunos, as a side project to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in 2006.

The band released its debut eponymous album, Grinderman, in 2007 on Mute Records.

A major critical success,[2] the album resulted in five singles and extensive touring over a two-year-period.

Grinderman disbanded in December 2011 following a performance at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria, Australia[3] to focus on The Bad Seeds upcoming material.

Collectively, the band's two studio albums have sold 88,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.