Jake and his twin sister, Hannah, were both in a "paramore ripoff band" called "Purple Shanty Shack." At the time, Brendan had a huge crush on Hannah and went to one of their shows to try and get closer to her. Whilst they were on the way to the show, they accidentally stepped into dog shit. When Bren arrived at the show, they made a comment about it during small talk with Hannah. Jake always carried an extra pair of shoes with him in his car, so he brought them out and gave them to Bren for the time being. One day, after school, Bren and Jake decided to hang out with each other at Jake's house. They both quickly bonded over their shared love of music and started hanging out more, jamming with each other. One day, the two of them were rummaging around in Jake's basement and found a book called "Modern Baseball Techniques." This would inspire the name of the band, a majority of their branding, and their compilation cd "Techniques" released in 2014.
After the two of them saw the book, they decided to form the band, performing their first show in one of their friend's garages. The two of them graduated and both moved to Philadelphia, Bren going to Chestnut Hill College and Jake going to Drexel University. At the time, Philidelphia had a young but explosive underground punk/emo scene, and the two of them became very interested in the scene. The two of them recorded their first ep, "The Nameless Ranger" all by themselves and released it on November 11th, 2011. Jake also met Ian Farmer at Drexel, who was a massive ska nerd at the time. The three of them quickly got along with each other, performing their first major show at the "Micheal Jordan House" on the campus of Drexel. The house was named after the fact that admission for any show would be either $3, or a picture of Jordan's face. The music video for their song "The Weekend" was performed in the basement of the Jordan house.
In Autumn 2012, Jake, Bren, and Ian all went into the studio in Drexel to record "Sports", their debut album, which was released on November 27th, 2012. The lyrical content of the album mostly consisted of girls, beer, and sports themselves. Jake played all of the drum parts on the album, as they didn't have a drummer yet. For the shows that they did play, they usually had a friend of the band fill in for them on drums. However, at one of the shows, the trio met and soon became friends with Sean Huber, who was a few years older than the rest of the band and could grow a cool beard. They all got along with each other, and Sean soon joined the band. At these basement shows, many regarded Modern Baseball as one of the greats in the slowly blossoming 4th wave emo scene, also known as the emo revival. The now 4 of them soon became good friends with many members of the scene, most notably Marietta, Old Gray, The Hundred Acre Woods, & Julia Brown. They would eventually release a split with all of them, "Couples Therapy" with Marietta in 2012, "4-Way V-Day Split" which as the title implies, is a 4-way-split between Mobo (which features an acoustic version of "Its Cold Out Here" from "Couples Therapy" called "Phone Tag"), Julia Brown, The Hundred Acre Woods and Old Gray, which came out on Valentine's Day 2013, and another split between just Mobo and The Hundred Acre Woods, also released in 2013.
The band soon embarked on their first full on U.S. tour, playing basement and or bar shows at whatever venue that they could find available. Many other bands from the emo scene around then joined Mobo on tour, such as The Menzingers, Lee Hartney, Ted Nguyent, and Cayetana. Also around this time, the quartet signed to Run for Cover records, gearing up to release their sophmore LP, You're Gonna Miss It All, which soon released on February 11th, 2014. For promotion for this album, Bren said that they would shave the avatar arrow into their hair if the album got over 1,000 pre-orders. It went very much over that, and Bren stuck with the nearly bald haircut for the rest of the Mobo career. Once again the band (mostly) tackled production by themselves, and the album peaked on 97 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. The band went on another tour, this time with the Wonder Years, later touring Europe with bands such as Knuckle Puck, Foxing, Crying, and Somos.
On October 23rd, 2015, the quartet released "Mobo Presents: The Perfect Cast EP Featuring Modern Baseball", their 2nd EP. The EP is extremely important to the trajectory of Mobo moving foward because of their sound change presented here. Whilst their projects before this were more snarky and lighthearted even through the circumstances and lyrical topics, The Perfect Cast wallowed in the sorrow. This is mostly speculated to be because in mid-2015, Bren was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attempted to kill themselves. The band at the time, cancelled their tour and would (for the most part) step away from touring as much as they did after this event. The band announced in late 2015 that their third LP, Holy Ghost, began development. In February of the next year, the band announced the release date of May 13th via Run for Cover in the US/Canada, and Big Scary Monsters everywhere else. In May, the record released. The concept of this record was split into half, depending on which member was writing and performing the vocals. Jake took up the songs Holy Ghost to Hiding, with his main lyrical focus being on losing a loved one. Bren took up the other side, from Coding These to Lukens and the closer Just Another Face. Their side mostly focused on depression and death.
In May 2016, the band embarked on their next tour, promoting The Perfect Cast and Holy Ghost with Joyce Manor and Thin Lips. Later in 2016, they would support acts such as The Front Bottoms and Brand New. In December 2016, Jake would start the (at the time) solo side project, Slaughter Beach, Dog. Sean would also start a new band, Steady Hands, where he would provide vocals. In January 2017, Bren would announce on Instagram that they would not be joining the band on their Europe/UK tour, to focus more on their mental health. The month after that, the band would cancel the tour all together, also citing their mental health as a reason for this.
In the meantime, Ian joined Slaughter Beach, Dog, and Sean would continue to focus on Steady Hands, releasing their debut. A few months later, the band announced that they would be going on indefinite hiatus. In a June 2017 interview with Jake, he remarked saying "let's not call it a breakup and make a huge deal about it and have a 'Last Show Ever' or anything like that. Let's just take it easy for now, and if we wake up and want to do it again, then let's do it". They performed a one off show supporting Daniel Johnston on his last US tour, which would also be their final performance as Modern Baseball. In an October 2017 interview, Jake confirmed that the band no longer had plans to perform again.
In the years following the "end" of Modern Baseball, all of the members have been doing their own thing. Sean became a father and continued to work on Steady Hands, releasing 2 albums. Jake and Ian are still working on Slaughter Beach, Dog, and currently have 5 albums and a few eps. Bren has been a different case - for the most part they have been laying low, and doing their own thing. They have been mostly absent on social media, however they did reappear on Instagram for the 10th anniversary of Sports.
Hours Outside in the Snow
Modern Baseball Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who knows what now or then and you spoke so fast
I just sat back relaxed and took you all in
I spent all of Christmas Eve trying to get warmer
After standing outside for hours knowing at this point
I'd be lucky to get any sleep
Happily ignoring that my blue jeans
Didn't do a fucking thing for me
Against this cold
Sober or not, I locked everything you sent me
Cause what's better than seeing
What I'm missing daily
I guess what I'm trying to say is that
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don't let me go back
And though I'd like to say more
I guess, I'll just duck and cover
Almost praying that you trip over
The cluster of words I laid out before having to leave
But since you've taken the time to read so carefully
Everything I've ever sent
I guess I'll spend the next few lines
Hoping and wishing
Yet thanking appropriately
You might run, oh but I won't hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don't let me go back
To Erin: Please read later
'Cause I don't think I have the heart
To let you read this now
But if I had the heart
You know that I know better
This isn't how you say aloud
"Don't let me go back"
The song "Hours Outside in the Snow" by Modern Baseball is a heartfelt reflection on a bittersweet Christmas Eve spent with someone who the singer is clearly trying to move on from. The first two verses describe the singer's attempts to distract themselves from the cold and their emotions by being with this person, fake arguing with them and then listening to them talk so quickly that the singer feels relaxed. However, as the night progresses, the singer cannot ignore their feelings and struggles to find comfort against the cold, tossing and turning in their jeans. The bridge is a plea for this person not to abandon the singer, even though they might want to move on themselves - "you might run, oh but I won't hide / shed an ounce of light on my half-hopeless life / don't let me go back." The final verse is a letter to someone named Erin, whom the singer cannot bear to have read this now, but is hoping and wishing for reconciliation with.
The lyrics create a vivid picture of a lonely, isolated Christmas Eve spent with someone who has caused the singer pain. It's clear that the singer is trying to keep their emotions in check, pretending to be angry when they really just want to connect with this person. However, as the night wears on, the singer is forced to confront their feelings of loneliness and fear of abandonment head on. The final plea - "don't let me go back" - is a powerful acknowledgement of the singer's vulnerability and need for love and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent all of Christmas Eve fake angry at you for
I spent Christmas Eve pretending to be angry with you for who knows what reason.
Who knows what now or then and you spoke so fast
I don't know what we were arguing about, but you were talking fast.
I just sat back relaxed and took you all in
I remained calm and listened to everything you had to say.
I spent all of Christmas Eve trying to get warmer
I was outside in the cold on Christmas Eve, desperately trying to stay warm.
After standing outside for hours knowing at this point
I knew I had been outside for hours and it was unlikely that I would get any relief from the cold.
I'd be lucky to get any sleep
I knew that, even if I did manage to get inside and warm up, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep.
And I'll toss and turn until the early morning
I will likely be too uncomfortable and restless to sleep.
Happily ignoring that my blue jeans
I am purposely choosing to ignore the fact that my blue jeans are not providing any insulation against the cold.
Didn't do a fucking thing for me
My blue jeans are completely useless in this situation.
Against this cold
I am struggling to stay warm in this weather.
Sober or not, I locked everything you sent me
I have saved all of the messages that you sent me, whether or not I was sober at the time.
Cause what's better than seeing
I enjoy looking at the messages you sent me.
What I'm missing daily
It reminds me of the things I miss about you every day.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that
I am trying to express something important.
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
I will not shy away or hide from you, even if you try to leave.
Shed an ounce of light
Help me find hope or positivity in my life.
On my half-hopeless life
My life is lacking optimism or hopefulness.
Don't let me go back
Please don't leave me or make me feel alone like I used to be.
And though I'd like to say more
I have more to say, but I'm hesitating.
I guess, I'll just duck and cover
I will try to avoid saying too much or scaring you off.
Almost praying that you trip over
I hope that you stumble upon or understand what I am trying to communicate.
The cluster of words I laid out before having to leave
The messages I sent you before, which I had to stop sending for some reason.
But since you've taken the time to read so carefully
I appreciate that you have taken the time to read and understand my messages.
Everything I've ever sent
All of the messages I have sent you.
I guess I'll spend the next few lines
I will continue my attempt to express my feelings.
Hoping and wishing
I am desperately hoping and wishing for something.
Yet thanking appropriately
I am grateful for your attention and understanding.
To Erin: Please read later
I have a message specifically for Erin.
'Cause I don't think I have the heart
I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to say what I need to say right now.
To let you read this now
I would prefer to wait for a more appropriate time for you to read this.
But if I had the heart
If I was feeling braver or more confident,
You know that I know better
I am aware of what I should or shouldn't do in this situation.
This isn't how you say aloud
This may not be the best way or time for me to express my feelings to you.
Contributed by Evan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tark h
I spent all of Christmas Eve fake angry at you for
Who knows what now or then and you spoke so fast
I just sat back relaxed and took you all in
I spent all of Christmas Eve trying to get warmer
After standing outside for hours knowing at this point
I’d be lucky to get any sleep
And I’ll toss and turn until the early morning
Happily ignoring that my blue jeans
Didn’t do a fucking thing for me
Against this cold
Sober or not, I locked everything you sent me
Cause what’s better than seeing
What I’m missing daily
I guess what I’m trying to say is that
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don’t let me go back
And though I’d like to say more
I guess, I’ll just duck and cover
Almost praying that you trip over
The cluster of words I laid out before having to leave
But since you’ve taken the time to read so carefully
Everything I’ve ever sent
I guess I’ll spend the next few lines
Hoping and wishing
Yet thanking appropriately
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don’t let me go back
To Erin: Please read later
Cause I don’t think I have the heart
To let you read this now
But if I had the heart
You know that I know better
This isn’t how you say aloud
“Don’t let me go back”
Ezequiel Gonzalez Aguirre
I spent all of Christmas Eve fake angry at you for
Who knows what now or then and you spoke so fast
I just sat back relaxed and took you all in
I spent all of Christmas Eve trying to get warmer
After standing outside for hours knowing at this point
I'd be lucky to get any sleep
And I'll toss and turn until the early morning
Happily ignoring that my blue jeans
Didn't do a fucking thing for me
Against this cold
Sober or not, I locked everything you sent me
Cause what's better than seeing
What I'm missing daily
I guess what I'm trying to say is that
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don't let me go back
And though I'd like to say more
I guess, I'll just duck and cover
Almost praying that you trip over
The cluster of words I laid out before having to leave
Nigel Cooper
For the past few years, it's been my tradition to listen to this song on Christmas eve, in August I was hit by a car and almost died. The thought that, even if people try to remember you after death and they still won't capture the nuances of your life, like this stupid little tradition I have, was really disheartening. I'm glad I'm alive and can carry on this tradition. Be safe out there people <3
tark h
I spent all of Christmas Eve fake angry at you for
Who knows what now or then and you spoke so fast
I just sat back relaxed and took you all in
I spent all of Christmas Eve trying to get warmer
After standing outside for hours knowing at this point
I’d be lucky to get any sleep
And I’ll toss and turn until the early morning
Happily ignoring that my blue jeans
Didn’t do a fucking thing for me
Against this cold
Sober or not, I locked everything you sent me
Cause what’s better than seeing
What I’m missing daily
I guess what I’m trying to say is that
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don’t let me go back
And though I’d like to say more
I guess, I’ll just duck and cover
Almost praying that you trip over
The cluster of words I laid out before having to leave
But since you’ve taken the time to read so carefully
Everything I’ve ever sent
I guess I’ll spend the next few lines
Hoping and wishing
Yet thanking appropriately
You might run, oh but I won’t hide
Shed an ounce of light
On my half-hopeless life
Don’t let me go back
To Erin: Please read later
Cause I don’t think I have the heart
To let you read this now
But if I had the heart
You know that I know better
This isn’t how you say aloud
“Don’t let me go back”
Adam Houtekamer
This band is seriously so cool.
Charlene Sabiston
I just found about 5 modern baseball songs I've never heard before.. this girl is in heaven ☺
Albert
Charlene Sabiston nameless ranger?
Eric Ward
Have you heard Green Eggs and Ham
doodle rose
dude this has always been my favourite mordern baseball song, so my jaw dropped when I found out this is Tommy's favourite too lmaoo my mans got good taste, amen
Nick Adams
seeing them live was perfect
Jack Long
I love how they took the time to get the actual voice mail of the girl the songs about and put it in the song
PugIGuess
And the voicemail is in the Your Graduation video