Despite their absence from the spotlight in 2001, it still proved to be a big year for Taxiride and the rest of the world. The band, now a five-piece with the addition of touring bandmates Andy McIvor (bass) and Sean McLeod (drums), spent most of the year writing songs for their eagerly anticipated follow-up album, Garage Mahal. They spent some time away in Mt Macedon to mobilise the creative juices before heading to LA to record and master the album. It was en-route to LA that their flight was ordered to leave US airspace and return to New Zealand ASAP. The date happened to be September 11 2001. Taxiride returned to Melbourne and were forced to wait another three weeks before they could making the trip back to LA, and as a consequence, the release date of the first single, Creepin' Up Slowly, was delayed another six months until mid-2002.