Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members are lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influenced by Pavement, Pixies, XTC, and Talking Heads, the band rehearsed, rearranged, and recorded demos for almost two years before finally signing with small-town indie label K Records and releasing numerous singles.
Since their 1996 debut This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, the band’s lineup has centered on Brock and Green. The band achieved mainstream success with their fourth album Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004) and its singles “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty”. Judy performed on every Modest Mouse album until his departure in 2012. Guitarist Johnny Marr (formerly of the Smiths) joined the band in 2006, shortly following percussionist Joe Plummer (formerly of the Black Heart Procession) and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, to work on the album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007). Guitarist Jim Fairchild joined the band in 2009. The band’s sixth album Strangers to Ourselves was released on March 17, 2015. Their seventh album, The Golden Casket, is set to be released on June 25, 2021.