MXPX HAS A SECRET WEAPON FAR FROM PANIC

Punk Rockers, MxPx have released their latest album ‘Secret Weapon’ and the album marks a clear departure from the overtones of their last album, 2005’s ‘Panic.’ ‘Secret Weapon’ also finds the band back on the Tooth and Nail Records roster. MxPx last released an album with Tooth and Nail 11 years ago, after being with with A&M and Side One Dummy for the last decade. ‘Panic,’ which was MxPx’s only release on Side One Dummy, featured songs written by song writer Mike Herrera, who also plays bass, and who went through a song writing period that reflected the negative outlook on the War and Katrina and the overall mishandling of numerous issues by the Bush administration.

We caught up with both Mike and Yuri Ruley of MxPx to discuss the bands mind set with ‘Panic’ and how different it is this time around with ‘Secret Weapon’

“I think our last album ‘Panic’ there was circumstances with the song writing, the war was in full swing, George W Bush had just been re-elected President of The United States of Whatever. There was a lot of fear and panic in a lot of ways. Katrina and all these monsoons and hurricanes and a lot of chaos in general and I think the songs really reflected that.”

So how is the song writing different on ‘Secret Weapon?’

“With the new record I kind of feel like I didn’t want to just keep continuing on with a dismal outlook on life. I wanted it to be more positive. I wanted it to be uplifting and encouraging. So that’s what I did, you know I went into the songwriting process with much more, I don’t know ‘Find it within ourselves to make this better’ kind of attitude.”

After performing this summer on the Punk Rock Touring Summer Camp Circus, The Warped Tour, MxPx are currently taking some time off before the band has two shows in Anaheim, California and Napa Valley, California this October.