"Responsibility...what's that?"

MxPx is definitely learning the meaning of that word lately. Their new hit song, "Responsibility" hit the airwaves a couple of months ago with the release of their most recent album, The Ever Passing Moment. Along with receiving plenty of airtime on the most popular radio stations in America, they have also appeared on the USA network's Farmclub and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Mike Herrera, lead singer and bassist of the band, has also appeared in the August 17th issue of Rolling Stone, sporting a $320 Versace shirt.

(Personally, I thought it was a good picture, even though any "true punk" would never be seen in a shirt like that [according to the punks out there who claim MxPx has "sold out"]. I don't understand why some people accuse bands of selling out just because they gain popularity and become successful. Isn't that the entire point of going into music? They are doing what they love to do and probably making pretty good money doing it. I wish I could say that for myself.)

Anyway, after touring with the Vans Warped Tour this year, MxPx will be in Europe for the rest of the summer. Within the next three months they will be visiting such places as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the U.K. (to name a few). After that, they will be touring in America once again. These boys just never stop. When the Warped Tour came through Texas during the first week of August, I had the opportunity to sit down and interview them.

It all started when I inquired about possibly interviewing MxPx. I never imagined that I would actually have the opportunity to sit down and chat with my favorite band in the entire world (especially since they have gained so much popularity in the last couple of years). But I figured since I had written a review of their new album and I was going to the Warped Tour anyhow, that maybe, just maybe, I might have a chance. With a little inquiry and prayer for guidance, I was given the opportunity.

As I entered the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas, I was incredibly excited. The seething masses of people were quite overwhelming and the heat almost unbearable, but I couldn't wait until my interview. In the meantime, there were so many bands to see--I don't think I caught even half of them. NOFX, Good Riddance, Unwritten Law, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and The Long Beach Dub All-Stars all showed up on the Starplex stages. None of which I'm a real big fan of, but they all put on pretty good shows. However, most of the time I was there, I was collecting stickers, magazines, and all the free CDs I could get my hands on.

And then came the time for the MxPx show. Our interview was set for right after their show, so before that, I went into the mosh pit to see them play. The crowd went crazy when they came out on the stage. Slamming around in the mosh pit got quite brutal, with everyone sweating like crazy, but I still had a great time. They played a good mix of their best songs like "Chick Magnet," "Party, My House, Be There," and of course, "Responsibility." Wrapping it up with "Punk Rawk Show," Mike and Tom both jumped up on their amps and jammed it out to finish the show.

Pumped up and ready to go, I headed to the press area to chat with the band. When my friend Josh and I got there, we sat in this little room with only a couch and a coffee table. Mike, Tom, and Yuri came in, and they decided to just sit on the coffee table in front of us. I thought it was pretty cool that they chose to sit right there with us (and on a coffee table no less)! That just proved to me that they don't consider themselves better or higher than anyone just because they've achieved some fame. They were completely down to earth and made me feel very comfortable. I felt like I was just a friend who hadn't seen them in a while and was now sitting down to talk (although it was kind of strange because I felt like I knew them, but they didn't know me).

But even though I do know a lot about them, being a big fan, I wanted to know more. So the first thing I asked was why the guys even wanted to start a band in the first place. Mike responded, "Back when we started, there really wasn't a lot of bands in our area and there definitely wasn't hardly any punk bands . . . And it was like, 'Wow! I wanna get into that scene.' So that's what interested me at first."

I've always been curious about how certain bands become successful. When I asked MxPx what they feel has contributed the most to their success, Yuri replied, "Well, we put in a lot of work, and we've got a lot of people that put in a lot of work. To make anything succeed, you really need to give all of yourself to it. To put in every ounce that you have--that's pretty much what we've done."

True self-devotion is what has helped them become well-known. But what is success like when you are Christians? Especially when you are a band that started out as pretty devout and outspoken about their faith. MxPx now describes themselves as "Christians who are in a band," rather than distinguishing themselves as a "Christian band." Though some fans aren't very happy about this name choice, Mike sees it like this--"Sure [the difference between the two names] makes a difference to other people but not to us. That's what we are [Christians], so that's what we say we are. When you go to our show, it's not going to church. Don't think it is. You know what I mean?"

Yuri jumped in, adding "I think calling us a Christian band puts something in someone's mind, like..." "They think DC Talk or Petra," Tom interjected. "And that's not who we are." "That's pretty much the main reason [for not calling ourselves a Christian band]" said Yuri.

Sounds like a pretty good explanation for a question that has been on the minds of so many fans. Too many people think that MxPx has "lost their religion," but I don't see it that way. I think that the band just don't want religion to be the main thing that people focus on when it comes to their music. While Christianity is a personal part of their lives, they'd rather not have everyone judging them on it. As a fellow follower of Jesus, I can understand that. I know what it's like to have people examine your life through a "God microscope." Every little thing that you do wrong, or could be doing wrong, is magnified by your peers. I think MxPx has experienced that same scrutiny on a national level (as well as many other Christian bands out there). But it's simply not necessary, and all of us Christians need to stop being so judgmental.

Something that many people may not know about MxPx is that they've started their own record company, Rock City Recordings. When I asked them about it, Mike replied, "I always wanted to do something like that. Be more involved in music on a smaller level. You know, we had this side project--well, not a side project but we had another band called Arthur, still do--and we didn't want to hassle ourselves with getting signed on a label and doing deals and stuff. So we thought it would be easier if we just do it ourselves. So that's why I started the label. And we signed another band [Too Bad Eugene]. In the future, we may sign other bands. But people think it's a little more than it really is. I mean, it's mostly for us to put out our stuff, rather than to put out other people's stuff. We just don't have the money to do that, or the time."

And about Arthur? Mike commented, "We started the band in '97. It was basically all my solo songs, just different songs that I wrote that I wanted to play as a band, not just on acoustic guitar all the time." "Mike writes a lot of songs," Yuri chimed in, "and not all of them can be made into what's gonna be like an MxPx sound. Plus, it's fun and challenging to do different ways of playing."

Arthur is planning on putting out a full-length album sometime in the future. The guys weren't really sure when, but they said it would surely happen. Being composed of all the members of MxPx, and the addition of a bass player named Alexander, Arthur has a slightly different sound than MxPx. They play mostly straight-up rock n' roll, with a punk influence, of course. The music sometimes has an almost 50's sound, with intense guitar parts and deeply emotional lyrics. As for the additional member, they really wouldn't say much about him, except that he is a friend and is a part of the MxPx crew.

In addition to their other projects, Mike, Tom, and Yuri also have a sort of BMX/skateboarding gang called the Broken Bones. Having written a few songs about this gang, they put out a 7" vinyl record with the same title. When I asked them about it, Mike said, "Yeah, it's our gang. There's really not much to tell." Yuri told a little more, saying, "We've all got bikes and we just hang around town at night and cruise around and have a good time." "It's not like an actual club with membership dues and annual meetings," said Tom, jokingly.

Now, anyone who's been an MxPx fan for any good length of time knows about their first guitarist, Andy. Curious about where he is now, I asked about him. Mike replied, "He graduated high school, got married, has a kid. He works construction or demolition, actually demolition, and he works on cars." "He goes to the firing range with his wife," Yuri added. So it seems all the band members (old and new) still keep in touch and are all still good friends. I was happy to hear that, because many bands that replace a member tend to outcast that person and disregard them as a friend. That's just not the way these guys are.

You may now be wondering, what's in the future for MxPx? Well, Mike simply said, "Record more songs, play more." But Tom seems to have plans in addition to continuing his music career. "I'd eventually like to be a chef, for real, go to culinary school or something. I always thought that would be cool."

But for now, it seems these three young guys from Bremerton are enjoying themselves doing what they love to do-playing music. And they don't seem to have any intentions of slowing down anytime soon. As for me, I'm grateful that they took the time to sit down and talk. I have been a fan for such a long time, and I feel like I know them personally. The lyrics that Mike writes for his songs are so in touch with the way I feel, and they speak volumes about life in general. Hopefully, they will have a long and prosperous career, and God will continue to bless them and give them strength.