The band's current configuration is Isaac Brock (vocals, guitar), Tom Peloso (strings, horns, bass, keyboards), Jim Fairchild (guitar), and Eric Judy (bass)). Plummer has recently become the new drummer for The Shins.
Brock came up with the name "Modest Mouse" when he read the Virginia Woolf stream of consciousness essay The Mark On the Wall in which the author described the working middle class as "modest mouse-coloured people"
Brock frequently moved around with his mother when he was a child. Around this time, his mother left his father for his father's brother (Brock's uncle). Brock's mother's house flooded and forced them to move into his mother's new husband's trailer, but there was no room for Brock. Brock stayed behind, living in the second story of the flooded house, until he was eventually evicted by police. He then moved into a shed next to his mother's house and it is said this is where Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy first began playing music.
In 1994, the band recorded their debut EP, Blue Cadet-3, Do You Connect?, at Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios, which was then released on Calvin's record label K Records. Then followed a single with Sub Pop that was recorded by producer Steve Wold at Moon Studios. Wold, who in the mid-2000's would begin to perform under the name Seasick Steve, would also perform on the band's albums, but was never an official member of the band. After moving to Up Records Modest Mouse put out several releases recorded at Moon Studios, including 1996's This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About. This double LP was produced and recorded by Steve Wold. The next offering on UP was Interstate 8; also produced by Steve Wold. 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, (also recorded at Moon Studios, by Scott Swayze) turned out to be the band's breakthrough album. The Lonesome Crowded West gained the band a cult following and is now widely considered by many critics to be one of the defining albums of mid-90s indie rock.
In 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon And Antarctica, their first album on a major label (Epic Records). The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." Lead singer Isaac Brock has since put out an album with his side project Ugly Casanova on Sub Pop Records.
In 2003, drummer Jeremiah Green quit the band; the official word was that he was quitting to work with his side project, Vells. He was replaced with two members, drummer Benjamin Weikel (who also drummed for The Helio Sequence) and guitarist Dann Gallucci (Murder City Devils). Weikel being new to the band and Gallucci returning to the band for the first time since This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released the platinum-selling Good News For People Who Love Bad News, which scored two hits with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty". In 2004 Jeremiah Green returned to the band, and Benjamin Weikel now drums exclusively for The Helio Sequence. Dann Gallucci left the band in August, and they toured with Hutch Harris of The Thermals during the fall of 2004.
Modest Mouse was mentioned by name in the 2005 Supreme Court decision in the case of MGM v. Grokster. Justice Souter wrote that on the Grokster P2P network, "Users seeking Top 40 songs, for example, or the latest release by Modest Mouse, are certain to be far more numerous than those seeking a free Decameron, and Grokster and StreamCast translated that demand into dollars."
In 2005, multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, who already played various instruments on Good News For People Who Love Bad News, officially joined the band. In 2006, Johnny Marr, former guitarist for The Smiths, became an official member of the band.
On March 20, 2007, the band released their fifth album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Four singles were released from the album: "Dashboard", "Missed the Boat", "We've Got Everything" and "Little Motel". The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. James Mercer of The Shins provides backing vocals on three songs.
In 2009, they released No One's First And You're Next, an EP of unreleased songs from around the time Good News and We Were Dead were recorded, and two songs that had already been released, "I've Got It All (Most)" and "King Rat". The video for King Rat was directed by late actor Heath Ledger.
In 2009, Johnny Marr left the band and was replaced by Jim Fairchild, formerly of Grandaddy. The band performed at several festivals throughout 2009 and 2010, including the main stage of the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2010.
After an 8 year wait, the band's latest full-length is "Strangers To Ourselves", released March 17th, 2015- two weeks after the original release date, March 3rd, 2015. The album art is an aerial photo of an RV resort located in Mesa, Arizona. Five singles were released before the album, "Lampshades on Fire", "Coyotes", "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box", "The Best Room", and "Of Course we Know".
Drummer Jeremiah Green passed away from cancer on December 31, 2022 at the age of 45.
SUMMER
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1996 1997 1998 we're all waiting for the year 2000
Just the smell on the summer can make me fall in love
We go to the parties listen to the DJ's
Dance dance dance and go crazy
She's a party queen an she's in party heaven
Got a first name basis at 7-11
Hold the slip slide taste the sweat it's salty
Irrigation ditch and a swimming hole
Nation-wide loved the movie
The lyrics of "Summer" by Modest Mouse seem to be about the carefree and fun nature of summertime when everything seems possible. The opening line "Wake-up we're stealing cars" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the rebellious and adventurous spirit of summertime. The reference to the years 1996, 1997, 1998 and the anticipation for the year 2000 highlight the era in which the song was written, and how many people were excited about the approaching new millennium.
The lyrics about parties, DJs, and dancing suggest that summer is a time for socializing, having fun, and letting loose. The line "She's a party queen and she's in party heaven" could refer to someone who embodies the spirit of summer and loves to party. The reference to the clock being stuck on late and the familiarity with the 7-11 staff suggest that the singer is young and carefree, without any sense of time or responsibility.
The lyrics "Hold the slip slide taste the sweat it's salty/Irrigation ditch and a swimming hole" create a vivid picture of summer activities, such as playing on water slides, swimming in irrigation ditch pools, and cooling off in natural swimming holes. The final line "Nation-wide loved the movie" is slightly ambiguous but could be referring to a popular movie during that era or a film that encapsulates the spirit of summertime.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake-up we're stealing cars
We're starting our day by stealing cars, possibly because we feel the need for excitement or rebellion.
1996 1997 1998 we're all waiting for the year 2000
We're eagerly anticipating the new millennium and all the changes it may bring.
Just the smell on the summer can make me fall in love
The scent of summer has a powerful effect on my emotions, causing me to feel infatuated or enamored.
We go to the parties listen to the DJ's
We attend social gatherings where we listen to the DJs play music to entertain us.
Dance dance dance and go crazy
We lose ourselves in the moment and dance wildly, letting the music take control.
She's a party queen an she's in party heaven
There's a girl who loves parties so much that she seems to belong in a place where parties never end.
Her clock is stuck on late
This girl is always running behind schedule or showing up late to events.
Got a first name basis at 7-11
She's a regular at the convenience store and on a first-name basis with the staff there.
Hold the slip slide taste the sweat it's salty
We're experiencing the sensation of slipping and sliding, likely due to water, and tasting the salty sweat that comes with it.
Irrigation ditch and a swimming hole
We're swimming in a man-made canal or ditch designed for irrigation purposes, as well as a natural body of water where people like to swim.
Nation-wide loved the movie
A movie has become popular across the entire country, likely indicating that it's a significant cultural touchstone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC JUDY, ISAAC BROCK, JEREMIAH GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Knuls
"Damn, who's paging me now?" That's the most 90's line ever.
Manny Cartagena
This is a highly underrated EP. It definitely isn't their best work. But this one and "Dirty Fingernails" are definitely hidden gems.
AK
The Fruit That Ate Itself is my favorite song of all time
CrossWindsPat
+Chardee MacDennis It seriously has a phat fucking baseline! Crazy groovy beat lol.
eric cunha
I had this and Interstate 8 on one side of a tape, good times walking around.
Oscar B
What about the waydown
Katie Wheeler
Will always be a favorite modest mouse song for me
CrossWindsPat
0:46 Wow orgasmic guitar sounds! I am 28 and I have listened to A LOT of music. Lots of hip hop, metal, classic rock, lots of electro/house. But nothing, NOTHING I have heard I like more than Modest Mouse! I never get old of their music! This album especially is such a hidden little gem!
Pinky
Yessssiirrrr. I'm a huge ska and hip-hop head...also love hardcore. It modest mouse is easily my favorite band! This EP is my favorite release and Lonesome Crowded West my favorite album. 🥰🥰🥰 Just ignore their last three albums lolu
Tom Hamilton
This was probably their biggest hit or miss album, but it had a few great songs like this one.