By Rose Sopko
MxPx loves what they do, and they have for the past 11 years. MxPx is made up of Mike Herrera (vocals, bass), Tom Wisniewski (guitar) and Yuri Ruley (drums). It’s hard to believe these guys have been playing their infectious punk rock for so long, and they still feel the same love for the music that they did over a decade ago when they were just starting out.
MxPx, from Bremerton, W.A., near Seattle, got together in 1992 while in high school. Before they were MxPx, they were known as Magnified Plaid. Now, after putting out eight records and a greatest hits compilation, they have released their first new record in three years in September 2003, titled “Before Everything ‘ After.”
MxPx is on a United States tour with Sugarcult and Simple Plan, and prior to their show at Avalon on Saturday, Feb. 7, The News had the opportunity to sit down with guitarist Tom Wisniewski and hear what he had to say about the new record, the band’s rumored “sell out” and his openness about his faith.
The Northeastern News: How is this current tour going?
Tom Wisniewski: The tour is going really well. The shows have been packed, and everyone’s been having a really good time. It’s been a blast so far.
The News: Do you have any pre-show rituals? Is there anything you like to do to get pumped before a show?
Wisniewski: I play guitar and sing. I do a lot of stretching out. I’ll plug in the iPod and sing along to that. But it’s mostly just playing guitar and stretching.
The News: The band hasn’t put out a new record in three years. What have you guys been up to since the last record (“The Ever Passing Moment” 2000)?
Wisniewski: We’ve been doing a lot of touring and a lot of practicing. We’ve been working on this record for awhile, and we’ve spent a lot of time writing. It was worth it because the record came out really well and we are all happy with the end result.
The News: Why the extended gap between this record and the last?
Wisniewski: It wasn’t a conscious effort. It’s not like we got together and said, ‘Let’s wait three years to put out another record.’ We spent time finding a producer, and we had to wait for schedules to open up. It was mostly a lot of scheduling problems.
The News: How has the band’s music evolved since the last record?
Wisniewski: There’s more diversity on this record. There’s a lot more dynamics, and a lot more up, down and everything in between, volume and tempo-wise.
The News: What is your favorite song on the new record?
Wisniewski: It’s definitely a toss-up between ‘Play it Loud’ and ‘Don’t Walk Away.’
The News: What is the significance of the title of this record?
Wisniewski: It’s pretty much talking about us. In the beginning we had [the record] ‘Teenage Politics,’ but we’re not teenagers anymore. It’s about the last 10 to 11 years in our lives. The beginning is our punk rock roots. The after is where we could be going in the future. The everything is pretty much everything in between.
The News: What kind of things inspire your songwriting, especially on this new record?
Wisniewski: Mike [Herrera] does pretty much all of the writing, but most inspiration comes from life in general, experiences and funny stories. Our songs come from a lot of stuff we talk about. We’ll be talking about something, and someone will say, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be really funny if we had a song about this … ?’
The News: Who are some of your musical influences?
Wisniewski: Most definitely the Descendants, Elvis Costello, the Who and, of course, The Clash. I’m also influenced by a lot of ’70s rock bands.
The News: How do you feel about some people calling you sellouts?
Wisniewski: If we were ever to sell out, it doesn’t really matter. We would have done it a long time ago. It’s not like we did a jingle [for the commercial]. We were performing on stage, playing one of our songs. It was a lot of fun. If it was a sell-out, I am still waiting for the cash.
The News: MxPx has always been open about the fact that you are all Christians, and sometime refers to that fact in songs. Has this helped or hindered the band in any way?
Wisniewski: People are always going to have these pre-conceived notions of who we are or what we do. We are just being human, so we really don’t care if people are opposed to this. It hasn’t helped or hindered us in any way that I can clearly see.
MxPx 20 things you never knew 1. The band’s unofficial theme song is “Punk Rawk Show” off their record, Teenage Politics. 2. MxPx was discovered in 1993 by Tooth ‘ Nail, a local record label that houses Christian rockers that deviated the Christian rock norm. 3. They embarked on their first tour in June of 1995, two days after their high school graduation. 4. The band’s first major label release with A’M Records was 1998’s “Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo.” 5. Mike Herrera is a self-professed workaholic. 6. During the band’s three year break, they put out the “Renaissance” EP for label Fat Wreck Chords, which contained nine new songs. They also released their greatest hits record, “Ten Years ‘ Running,” which contained two new songs. 7. All three member of MxPx still live in their hometown of Bremerton, Wash. and all purchased homes in 2000 after moving out of their parents’ houses. 8. Mike Herrera enjoys mowing his lawn while at home in Bremerton. 9. MxPx’s “Renaissance” EP has fared the best out of all their records on the Billboard 200 chart, topping out at 128. 10. MxPx appeared as the club band in MTV’s remake of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.” 11. For “Before Everything ‘ After,” the guys worked with producer Dave Jerden, most famous for producing records for Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction. 12. All three guys are happily married (sorry ladies!) 13. All three guys share a love for Thai food. 14. Tom Wisniewski claims that if he was not a member of MxPx, he would be attending cooking school. 15. Yuri Ruley considers himself borderline obsessed with washing his hands. 16. The guys auditioned in Mike Herrera’s garage to earn their first record deal with Tooth ‘ Nail. 17. In their beginning stages, MxPx had a do-it-yourself punk ethic: they promoted their own shows, printed their own flyers and drove their own van. 18. In 2000, the band’s record “The Ever Passing Moment” reached the top spot on the Contemporary Christian charts. 19. Tom Wisniewski was born on a naval base in Dunnoon, Scotland. 20. Yuri Ruley enjoys skydiving, and considers jumping out of planes the craziest thing he has ever done.
