Eels is an American alternative/acoustic indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as "Mr. E" or simply E. Other members rotate frequently, both in the studio and on stage. Eels were officially founded in 1995 when Jonathan 'Butch' Norton and E met Tommy Walter. The name "Eels" was chosen so that the band's records would be close to E's solo records in an alphabetical ordering. In 1996 the band released their debut album Beautiful Freak.