Show I More than a modest success Eric R. R Danton The Hartford Courant Members of Modest Mouse just assumed Epic Records would drop the band after releasing Good News for People Who Love Bad News last year It would have fit with the bands band's fortunes at the time which hinged on calamity There was substance abuse an unfounded accusation accusation accusation tion of date rape and mental illness which prompted the original drummer to leave the group Modest Mouses Mouse's business affairs weren't in much better shape Although the Issaquah Wash band had steadily attracted fans since forming in 1993 the groups group's coterie was well modest enough that the records weren't quite surging surging surg surg- ing up the charts The bands band's previous album major- major label debut The Moon Antarctica had sold copies and seemed to prove what singer Isaac Brock told an interviewer in 1998 I think we could go to a major label and still fly under the radar you know Not anymore Good News for People Who Love Bad News outsold its predecessor in just one week last year and has now sold more than 1 million copies The abrasive catchy single Float On showed uncharacteristic cheer from the cynical band and the fantastical stop-action stop video for the song was a hit on MTV Instead of dropping Modest Mouse Epic is now clamoring for a follow It seems like were we're pretty much on their radar at this point drummer Jeremiah Green on tour in South Dakota says by phone paying a lot of attention to us Its It's a little disconcerting Green says No Noone Noone Noone one paid much attention to Modest Mouse when the band was on Up Records an independent independent independent inde inde- pendent label and Epic took a low-key low approach to promoting The Moon Antarctica I think their reasoning was that they didn't didn't didn't did did- nt want to freak fans out so quickly you know what I mean Green says Here we signed to a major label now you see commercials commercials com com- commercials everywhere I think kids would have been bummed But at this point its it's fine to be popular I think Its It's not as much of a lame thing as it used to be That popularity is not something Green ever expected to experience particularly because he left the band in 2003 just as the group started recording Good News The drummer was self-medicating self hi his depression at the time and he started to feel as though the band was a dead end He flipped out during during dur dur- during ing the second day of recording screamed obscenities at his band mates and left My mind and my thoughts completely changed a and d I became a different person than I ever had been he says For some reason I thought that I needed to move on have nave a normal life go to art school or something something some some- thing like that Eventually after sorting himself out he c called the rest of the band to apologize for forthe hIS departure and they invited him l to rejoin the bandI band I feel feel a lot happier to be alive now Green says I should have been back then but I Things have to fa fall apart art for 1 you to realize r fife life re What'S imP important in your Although Sh Entertainment Weekly once tagged Modest Mouse as a band driven by pessimism JS m Green reen isn't sure he agrees Even if the u bands band's I songs arent aren't bubblegum Sie odes tn to J i love V-e V T and they arent aren't nt Green fays says the music mn isn isn't t negative I Ithe T I feel I optimistic these days he says have Things W been are afe going well for us a and d they j for quite a while j |