Mystik Spiral

This is the band fronted and led by Trent Lane, Daria's friend Jane's brother. The band was first formed at Lawndale High School, thought Trent and Jesse Moreno had been playing guitars together since they were twelve.

It is an alternative-rock grunge band, with elements of heavy metal. Most of their songs aim for screeds on the tortured human condition, to a ludicrous degree.

They are generally portrayed in a negative light - in their very first mention in "Road Worrier", Daria said the name sounded like a Doors tribute band and Jane laughed that they wish they were that good - and the few of their songs we get to hear are not good. Even Trent once said the songs in the second set were so lame, he'd leave the gig if he wasn't in the band ("Jane's Addition"). Despite this, they keep getting gigs, both in Lawndale and in other places like Fremont. They've performed at Brittany Taylor's birthday party, a kids party in Fremont, the Club Glamour Lounge near Ashfield, various dives across Carter County, and regularly in Lawndale at both McGrundy's Brew Pub and The Zon. Their website states "We are available for weddings, sweet sixteens, bar mitzvahs, acquittal parties, keggers. Not too early in the day, please... Cash, check, or barter accepted."

They often introduce themselves as, "We're Mystic Spiral, but we're thinking of changing the name." Some of the alternate names have included "Helpful Corn" and "Something-Something Explosion". They also wondered aloud if it would help if they "spelled Mystic with 2 Ys." Daria's unspoken, but thought, response was: "Sure. And I'll spell my name DarYa, and be crowned Miss America."

They have a website, fronted by Trent, where you can book them, join their fan club ("Make a stand against corporate rock (until we sign a record deal)"), and see their lyrics. Max set it up, while Trent had grand (and unrealised) ideas of making a RPG about the band for it. The website makes it clear they really need money.

Circa season 2, Jesse's younger brother Danny Moreno was the self-proclaimed "recording secretary" for their fan club - meaning he does all the writing for it - and was desperate to become their fifth member, thinking it would happen "next year". On the website's Fan Club section, Danny goes unmentioned.

They have never released a CD. The IIFY Post-Movie Chat had Trent state they have a 15-track CD in the works "and we only have 14 left to go"; in 2001, their website said they needed to agree on the cover art and get the drum kit "out of hock". They have released a vinyl single of "Behind My Eyelids" under Plush Records (Daria Diaries) but on their website they admit many shops refuse to order it.

"Is It College Yet?" gave them a "Future Ego": being members of a church choir (while Trent was a US Senator).

Spin-off show
After the end of Daria, a pilot script was written for a spin-off starring the band. Mystik Spiral was originally reported to be in production in at least one article about "Is It College Yet?", but then the closure of MTV Animation was announced. The script wasn't seen until it was included on the Daria DVD boxset.

The pilot involved the band being taken on by a manager and moving into a rundown house in a new town in an attempt to hit the big time. The style of humour shown was a more surreal than in Daria and with more specific jokes based on bands & the music industry, and without the cutting wit displayed by the lead. It featured no Daria characters (outside of Spiral) and instead introduced new ones; whether it would have later shown any older ones (or at least Jane) at some point is unknown. Trent's voice actor Alvaro J. Gonzalez, in an interview with the Sheep's Fluff, said the show would have had the band "embark on a cross-country tour shedding riffs and experiencing all that life on the road has to offer".

Some new running gags and facets were introduced for the band members, such as Jesse turning out to be somehow capable of attracting girls with ease. Gonzalez also thought the spin-off would show whether Trent and the others really did just need a chance to be successful.

Members
Trent Lane: vocals and guitar

Jesse Moreno: rhythm guitar

Max Tyler: drums

Nicholas Campbell: bass guitar

Notable Songs

 * Behind My Eyelids
 * Every Dog Has His Day
 * Freaking Friends
 * Icebox Woman
 * Ow! My Face
 * Little Sister
 * Mr. Normal
 * Been Workin' on the Railroad (cover version)
 * Paingasm

Gigs
Lawndale
 * The Zon
 * McGrundy's Pub