Modest Mouse is an American
rock band formed in 1992 in
Issaquah, Washington and currently based in
Portland, Oregon. The founding members of this group are lead singer/guitarist
Isaac Brock, drummer
Jeremiah Green, and bassist
Eric Judy. Strongly influenced by groups such as
Pavement, the
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 the band's 1996 debut album,
This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, the group's lineup has centered on Brock and Green. 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. Guitarist
Jim Fairchild joined the band in 2009. The band's sixth album,
Strangers to Ourselves, was released on March 17, 2015.