Mary Timony (formerly of the band Autoclave) soon replaced Mary Lou Lord on vocals and guitar as Lord was reluctant to go electric. After Jason Hatfield left the band, they changed the name to "Helium". Timony became known for her Lolita-esque image (e.g. short schoolgirl skirts and hairstyle) and naughty lyrics, much like Helium's then-labelmate Liz Phair. She was also known for her fairly husky, vibrato-less, monotone singing style.
Their first release was a 7" single entitled "The American Jean" (1993), which was followed by the 7" "Hole in the Ground." They released their first EP, Pirate Prude, in 1994. Shortly after the release of Pirate Prude, Dunton left the band and Polvo guitarist Ash Bowie (boyfriend of Timony at the time) joined on bass. The band makes an appearance in the 1994 cult roadmovie Half-cocked. In 1995, they released their first full-length release, The Dirt of Luck, and played the second stage of Lollapalooza. Two of the band's music videos ("Pat's Trick" and "XXX") were critiqued by MTV's animated teen pundits Beavis and Butt-head. Adam Lasus produced and engineered The Dirt of Luck, Pirate Prude, and all the singles up to 1995.
In 1997, the group released the EP No Guitars before releasing their second album, The Magic City. They toured the United States in early 1998 and disbanded shortly thereafter in 1998. Timony began a solo career and Bowie released an album of old four-track recordings under the name Libraness.
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