Modest Mouse
Austin, Texas
2017
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, led by Isaac Brock, known for raw lyrics and inventive alternative rock.
Their biggest hit is “Float On,” a 2004 single that brought Modest Mouse mainstream success and remains their most recognizable and widely played song.
Modest Mouse was founded by Isaac Brock and Jeremiah Green, with longtime members including Eric Judy, Tom Peloso, and various touring musicians.
As of 2023, Modest Mouse has released seven full-length studio albums, spanning lo-fi indie roots to more polished alternative rock releases.
Yes. Johnny Marr, guitarist of The Smiths, was a full-time member of Modest Mouse from 2006 to 2009 and played on the album We Were Dead together.
The band’s name comes from a line in Virginia Woolf’s The Mark on the Wall, referencing “modest, mouse-colored people,” a nod to literature.