"[citation needed] In the mid-to-late '90s, there was a resurgence of interest in the Middle Tennessee rock scene, when Spongebath Records began to turn heads for signing promising, talented local bands like Self, Fluid Ounces, and The Features.

Their office was located at 101 N. Maple in downtown Murfreesboro, and they were impossible to miss—the walls were painted in bright purple, yellow, and red colors, allowing it to stand out amidst a sleepy, rather drab and comfortably geriatric courthouse/downtown square.

[citation needed] The label even got the attention of Billboard, which ran a cover story in August 1997 chronicling Murfreesboro's rise as "an emerging music mecca," while other writers half-jokingly began to refer to the scene as "little Seattle.

Even the packaging for Spongebath releases was different: Brian Bottcher's artwork for albums like Self's Breakfast with Girls, Fluid Ounces' In the New Old-Fashioned Way, or Count Bass-D's Art for Sale all had an unmistakable, distinct, and sophisticated visual flair.

At one point or another, Spongebath employees included: Rory Daigle (manager of the Features), Bingham Barnes (bassist for indie rock darlings Glossary), Andy McLenon (who went on to work at Sire Records), Andy Kotowicz (who went on to become the Vice President of Sales and Director of Marketing for Sub Pop), Matt Meeks (eventually co-managing The Features with Daigle), Justin Meyer (who went on to play drums for Fluid Ounces), Michael Eades (who created the company's website and online presence), Neill Dietz (whose brother, Jason, would later play bass for Fluid Ounces), Chris Moon, Chris Crawford, Harrison Rogers, Christian Rocco, Joli Hummel, and several others.