Ukuthi bekuyisu noma cha, okungephikwe ukuthi lokhu kumiswa emsebenzini weqembu James mercer ithuthukiswe ngendlela egculisayo. Iqembu eliqale uhambo lwalo, ngaphansi kwelebula AbakwaShins, ngokukhazimula kwe-debut ephelele, siqonde ku-O, Umhlaba Oguquliwe (2001) lapho leyo pop yakudala yamashumi ayisithupha izwakala imanje futhi lapho izingoma ezimnandi ezazizohambisana nemisebenzi yakhe elandelayo zase ziqala ukubonwa.
En I-Chutes Kakhulu (2003) bacwengisise ifomula yabo futhi base bejabulela ukuthandwa okukhulu, behlula irekhodi lokuthengisa kulebula labo lokuqopha. I-Sub Pop, emva kwesikhashana abakaki babuya sebevuselelwe Ukunqoba Ubusuku (2007) lapho umsindo wayo unwebeka ngezindlela eziningi ebezingahanjwanga ngaphambilini.
Kodwa izinkinga zangaphakathi eqenjini bese zivele zicashile futhi kwamenyezelwa ikhefu ebhendini lapho empeleni selihlakazeke ngokuphelele, uMercer kanye no. I-Mouse Manger ikhiphe i-albhamu ye-pop yokuhlola kakhulu kunaleyo ebesiyijwayele, egcine isebenze njengehinge lale albhamu yesihlanu yebhendi, futhi yaba ne-Mercer kuphela njengensalela yohlu lwangempela.
Ichweba lakusasa (2012) ibonakala iyinhlanganisela ephelele ye- Shins ifomula. Abanqikazi ukuqala ngezikhali ezisindayo ekuhlolweni kwe-"A Riffle's Spiral" futhi abanqikazi ukuhlanganisa ama-ballads amahle ngendlela enikeza iqoqo elihlukahlukene nelinokulinganisela. Futhi bayayifekethisa futhi lapho bebheja izingoma ezihehayo njengephrezentheshini eyodwa ethi "Simple Song" noMercer ebonisa amandla akhe ephimbo ngekhorasi engasoze yalibaleka, noma isigqi esithi "No Way Down" kanye nethi "Bait And Switch".