Jeff Mangum (born 1970 in Ruston, Louisiana) is the founder and driving force behind the band Neutral Milk Hotel and one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Robert Schneider (of The Apples in Stereo), Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss (formerly of The Olivia Tremor Control and now comprising Circulatory System and The Sunshine Fix, respectively) and Mangum all attended Ruston High School in the late 1980s. The friends shared a passion for bands of the 1960s such as The Zombies, as well as an affinity for newer, noisier bands such as Sonic Youth and The Minutemen. They reflected these influences in the tapes they recorded and shared with each other, forming the seeds of what would become the Elephant Six Collective.

Jeff is also married to writer and filmmaker Astra Taylor.[5]

Jeff Mangum was the founder and driving force behind the band Neutral Milk Hotel and one of the cofounders of the Elephant 6 Collective. Rob Schneider (of The Apples in Stereo ), Will Cullen Hart , Bill Doss (formerly of The Olivia Tremor Control and now comprising Circulatory System and The Sunshine Fix , respectively) and Mangum all attended the same high school in Ruston, Louisiana in the late 1980’s. The friends shared a passion for bands of the 60’s such as The Beach Boys , The Beatles