The band was formed in 1996 by synthesizer-player/vocalist David James Swanson, bassist Steve Damstra, and drummer Brad Holland, all sixteen years old at the time.
The band's name originates from the cover art done by Raymond Pettibon for Sonic Youth's 1990 release Goo.
In 1999 the group was joined by guitarist Jason Eberspeaker and released a 45, continuing to play gigs around Michigan.
In 2004 the band released a short EP entitled Flamingo Honey, written and recorded in five hours.
The band's second full-length album Types of Wood was released on April 24, 2006, in the UK by Brille Records.
Whirlwind Heat's last live performance was at Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan on August 13, 2006.
The band self-released Self Titled or Scoop Du Jour on July 4, 2008, under their own record label imprint Heat Enterprises.