MxPx began as three 15-year-olds who called themselves Magnified Plaid. They started playing music inspired by The Descendents, NOFX, and other Southern California skate punk bands. The trio — Mike Herrera, Yuri Ruley, and Andy Husted — were classmates at Central Kitsap High School in nearby Silverdale, WA. The name was a tribute to the original guitarist's fascination with plaid shirts but did not fit on the band's posters. Consequently, the name was abbreviated to M.P. But in Yuri Ruley's handwriting, periods appeared as "X"'s, and since he made up the show posters for the band, the four-letter moniker stuck.[citation needed] MxPx caught the attention of Tooth & Nail Records when they played a "showcase" for the label in 1993 in Herrera's parents' back yard. Mike Herrera had practiced so much before the first show, he lost his voice.[citation needed] Their first major album, Pokinatcha (1994), was released while the band was still in high school.[2]
Guitarist Andy Husted soon left the band and was replaced by Tom Wisniewski. MxPx released two further albums with Tooth & Nail, Teenage Politics in 1995, and Life in General in 1996. They then received a major distribution deal with A&M Records. After the re-release of Life In General, MxPx released two more studio albums jointly distributed with Tooth & Nail and A&M: Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo in 1998, and The Ever Passing Moment in 2000. MxPx had fulfilled their contract obligations and decided to part ways with Tooth & Nail. Before Everything & After in 2003 was released exclusively by A&M, and marked a radical departure from their old sound.[citation needed] In 2005, MxPx dropped A&M, signed with SideOneDummy Records, and released their seventh full-length album Panic. In 2006, MxPx came out with Let it Happen deluxe edition, a Tooth and Nail Records re-release of Let it Happen with new songs and a DVD of their music videos.
MxPx receiving keys to Bremerton from Mayor Cary Bozeman, September 2006.
In September 2006, MxPx and the City of Bremerton started a marketing effort revolving around the band's song "Move to Bremerton". Bremerton's Community Renewal Agency secured rights for the song to be played in a promotional website for the city, and MxPx played a concert at the downtown Admiral Theatre on September 16, 2006 with local bands The Divorce and Ruxton Towers. The band was also given keys to the city by Mayor Cary Bozeman in recognition of their contributions to Bremerton. [3][2]
MxPx spent the majority of 2005 and 2006 touring in support of their 7th album Panic. On November 21, 2006, Tooth & Nail Records re-released "Let It Happen Deluxe Edition" with a bonus DVD featuring 12 music videos, new artwork, photographs and some other goodies.
Let's Rock, MxPx's second rarities album, was released on Side One Dummy Records on October 24, 2006. The album consists of many previously unreleased songs, re-recorded b-sides and acoustic demos. A new full-length album from their side project Arthur is slated for a 2007 release.
MxPx spent early 2007 on an international tour through parts of Australia and Europe. In March of 2007, MxPx played at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas, and from May through June, they headlined the Tooth and Nail Tour, also featuring Hawk Nelson, The Classic Crime, The Fold, Sullivan, Project 86, and Run Kid Run. In early November 2007, they held a concert at Northern Michigan University, in the University Center.
Currently, MxPx is touring to promote their latest album, Secret Weapon.
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Band lineup
Mike Herrera – Bass Guitar, Lead vocals, Keyboard
Tom Wisniewski – Guitar, Background Vocals
Yuri Ruley – Drums, Background Vocals
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Previous members
Andy Husted, the founding guitarist, left the band in 1995 to continue college. He was replaced by Tom Wisniewski to solidify the line-up that would take the band into their post-teen years.
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Discography
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Studio albumsYear Title Label Format Other information
1994 Pokinatcha Tooth & Nail CD Debut album.
Only album recorded with former guitarist Andy Husted.
1995 Teenage Politics Tooth & Nail CD First album recorded with guitarist Tom Wisniewski.
1996 Life in General Tooth & Nail CD
1998 Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo A&M CD First release to be distributed by a major label A&M Records.
The album went Gold in 2000.
2000 The Ever Passing Moment A&M CD
2003 Before Everything & After A&M CD Last release on A&M Records.
2005 Panic SideOneDummy CD Only album released on SideOneDummy Records.
2007 Secret Weapon Tooth & Nail CD The band's first release on Tooth & Nail in exactly 11 years.
