Mutemath (sometimes styled as MuteMath or MUTEMATH) is an American
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
project founded by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer
Paul Meany
Paul Meany (born July 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and keyboardist for the alternative rock band Mutemath.
Career
While under the mon ...
. Originally co-founded as a band with
Darren King
Darren Charles King (born June 25, 1982) is an American drummer and percussionist, best known for his association with the band Mutemath until his permanent departure in August 2017. He played the drums for the New Orleans-based Christian rock ba ...
in 2002, Meany decided to continue Mutemath as a solo project following King's departure in 2017. Mutemath draws heavily from influences in 1960s and 1970s soul, psychedelic rock, and jam band styles, utilizing vintage guitars and amplifiers as well as
Rhodes keyboards, synthesizers, and other electronic instruments such as the
keytar
The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...
.
History
Formation
Mutemath started in 2002 as a long-distance collaboration between Paul Meany in
and Darren King in
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...
. The two had known each other from their work together in Meany's previous band
Earthsuit
Earthsuit was a New Orleans-based Christian rock band formed in 1995. The band consisted of guitarist Dave Rumsey, keyboardist/vocalist Paul Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell, drummer David "Hutch" Hutchison, and vocalist Adam LaClave. Earthsuit's so ...
. Occasionally Paul would receive instrumental demo CDs from Darren. Fairly impressed with his efforts, Paul contacted Darren and asked if he could mess with the demos a bit, adding some ideas of his own. Darren obliged and the two would set in motion a sort of songwriting ping-pong match that would carry on for several months.
In February 2002, Darren moved to New Orleans to work closer with Paul in hopes to at least turn their efforts into some kind of side-project. Calling it "Math", the two explored many of their shared influences ranging from
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996.
Biography Early years (1989–1995)
DJ Sha ...
to
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
, yielding a lot of their earlier works to be more sample based electronica. After Meany's band officially broke up by that summer, Darren and Paul moved in together into a house they found in Mandeville, Louisiana where they spent all their time writing new songs and considering how to turn their side-project into a full band.
By 2003, they had recruited guitarist Greg Hill, another Springfield, MO native and longtime friend of Darren's. All now living in Southern Louisiana, the three worked on expanding their collection of songs while broadening the sound to a more rock infused hybrid. With the addition of more of their collective band influences like
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...
and
U2 the music began to find a sound of its own. Paul took the early demos to friend and producer
Tedd T
Tedd T., born Tedd Andrew Tjornhom (CHURN-home), is a music producer, songwriter, arranger, programmer, and engineer. He launched the independent record label Teleprompt Records in 2003 as a joint venture with Word/Warner Music Group. His interes ...
, who fell in love at first listen. The trio continued to work on demos with Tedd for a possible EP while playing shows on the side with different bass players experimenting with the idea of eventually becoming a four-piece.
After months of considering different options for their new venture, the group decided to do things on their own and officially changed their name to "Mutemath". Joining up with Tedd and lawyer/manager Kevin Kookogey, they started an independent label
Teleprompt Records
Teleprompt Records was an independent record label that was formed in 2003 by record producer Tedd T, keyboardist and Mutemath vocalist Paul Meany, and manager Kevin Kookogey. The label was formed to promote and distribute music for Meany's band M ...
. Within a couple months Teleprompt was able to put together a developmental-deal with Warner Music, and Mutemath's debut ''
Reset EP'' would be released that Fall on Warner's CCM label Word Records in an attempt to capitalize on the group's fan base from Earthsuit. By December 2004, the band finally recruited bass player Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas to become the official fourth member. They began touring to promote the release while using popular social networking sites like
MySpace to spread word of the group. As their fan base grew, the band began to see an increasing number of shows sell out by early 2005. By the end of that year, they joined The Music is Much Too Loud Tour opening for
Mae
Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience", based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University.
Histor ...
and
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American rock music, rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green (musician), Anthony Green, consisted of former members from This Day Forward and Taken.
Circa ...
where they began to chronicle their shows and updated their video blogs on a nightly basis gradually attracting more and more people to the Mutemath ground-swell. The band sold over 30,000 copies of ''Reset EP'' before the album went out of print in 2006.
2006–2011
In January 2006, the band set out on a tour in support of their self-titled debut album. It was initially independently released in response to Warner Music Group's indecision on what to do with Mutemath's debut LP. So by late 2005, Teleprompt filed suit against Warner Music requesting Mutemath to be released from their contract while Teleprompt would proceed to promote and sell Mutemath's self-titled debut on its own. (see
Teleprompt Controversy for more details).
The special edition of the album was only available as a "tour-only" release until it hit the Internet on Teleprompt's online store, selling more than 10,000 copies in its first month. Mutemath landed on the covers of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' and
Pollstar being featured in ''
Alternative Press'', ''
Paste'', and ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' as well as on the
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
program 'You Hear It First'. The group continued to tour vigorously, playing shows to crowds of thousands at festivals such as
Bonnaroo,
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
,
Van's Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
,
V Festival,
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and Voodoo Music Experience in their hometown of
.
After months of legal wrangling with parent label
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, Teleprompt settled litigation out of court in August 2006 with a re-negotiated contract with Warner.
WBR re-released the band's debut album ''
Mutemath
Mutemath (sometimes styled as MuteMath or MUTEMATH) is an American alternative rock project founded by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Paul Meany. Originally co-founded as a band with Darren King in 2002, Me ...
'' on September 26, 2006. The fully remastered album features reworked tracks from their Reset EP and a bonus limited-edition live EP. The album debuted at No. 17 on ''Billboards
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
chart.
The band returned to the road in early 2007 with opening dates for
The Fray and
Wolfmother in various cities and a brief headlining tour in Europe.
Flesh And Bones Electric Fun, an exclusive live DVD was released on March 20, 2007 with an accompanying 43-city North American tour that ran through the first of May.
The band also received some unexpected publicity on ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' when contestant
Chris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh (born April 13, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and pastor who was a finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol'', finishing in tenth place. He has released 14 albums since 2001 as a solo artist, wi ...
sang "
Typical
Typical may refer to:
* ''Typical'' (album), Peter Hammill
* "Typical" (song), song by MuteMath
*"Typical", song by Frazier Chorus from ''Sue'', 1987
*''Typical'', story collection by Padgett Powell, 1991
See also
*''Typical Rick
''Typical R ...
" on the show's Top 24 episode.
Mutemath's first music video, for "Typical", premiered on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
on March 21, 2007. The video features the band performing the song backwards. The video made it on the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' Hot List and registered more than 100,000 views in less than four days, going on to be viewed 4.3 million times as of May 2021. It took three weeks for Mutemath to learn their parts backwards. When asked whether singing backwards or drumming backwards was more difficult, Paul Meany answered, "Darren (the drummer) had it the hardest."
"Typical" was also released as Mutemath's first radio single on April 10, 2007. As of late June, the single started receiving major airplay in Modern Rock quickly rising up the
Mediabase Alternative chart jumping from No. 115 to No. 65 and was also the second most added song on Alternative stations the week of June 13, 2007. The single then jumped to No. 36 the first week of August 2007, a position it held for six weeks before it moved to a peak position of 35.
"Typical" was featured on a television commercial for the Discovery Channel, featuring clips from shows like ''
Man vs. Wild
''Man vs. Wild'', also called ''Born Survivor: Bear Grylls'', ''Ultimate Survival'', ''Survival Game'', or colloquially as simply ''Bear Grylls'' in the United Kingdom, is a survival television series hosted by Bear Grylls on the Discovery Chan ...
'', ''
Deadliest Catch
''Deadliest Catch'' is a reality television series that premiered on the Discovery Channel on April 12, 2005. The show follows crab fishermen aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and snow crab fishing seasons. The ...
'' and ''
Dirty Jobs''.
The group made limited appearances at various summer festivals in mid-2007 in order to work on writing and recording material for their forthcoming sophomore record. The band's debut performance at the
Bonnaroo Music Festival coincided with their second appearance on ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, ...
''.
The group appeared on ''
Transformers: The Album'', released on July 3, 2007, performing the "Transformers Theme" in conjunction with the
live-action film directed by
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...
(although the song did not appear in the film) and made a television appearance on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on July 17. The group was in the running for
MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global.
The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to sh ...
and
Virgin Mobile's Book The Band vote to open for the US
Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin Mo ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
in August (
Aiden won the Book The Band contest).
Mutemath's
debut album reappeared on Billboard's
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
Chart on August 4, 2007, at No. 28, while the single "
Typical
Typical may refer to:
* ''Typical'' (album), Peter Hammill
* "Typical" (song), song by MuteMath
*"Typical", song by Frazier Chorus from ''Sue'', 1987
*''Typical'', story collection by Padgett Powell, 1991
See also
*''Typical Rick
''Typical R ...
" debuted at No. 39 on Billboard's
US Modern Rock
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
Chart the same week.
The band hit the road in support of the single in September 2007 with support from
Eisley, which included two television appearances. The first was September 19, their second appearance on
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
. The show aired a taped performance of the band recreating the video the single "
Typical
Typical may refer to:
* ''Typical'' (album), Peter Hammill
* "Typical" (song), song by MuteMath
*"Typical", song by Frazier Chorus from ''Sue'', 1987
*''Typical'', story collection by Padgett Powell, 1991
See also
*''Typical Rick
''Typical R ...
" that was taped in front of the studio audience and then played back in reverse for the broadcast. Their second television appearance was their debut on
NBC's
Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing "Break the Same" for the first time on television on October 17.
On November 12, 2007,
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
announced that the band would join
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
on
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, r ...
's Exile in America Tour, which kicked off in
Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...
, on January 25, 2008, and ran through mid-March.
On December 6, 2007, the group was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for their short form music video for "Typical". "
Control
Control may refer to:
Basic meanings Economics and business
* Control (management), an element of management
* Control, an element of management accounting
* Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization
* Controlling ...
", the second and final radio single from ''Mutemath'' was released January 15, 2008. The music video for the single was filmed in Nashville in January, but its distribution was halted due to copyright issues in regards to a previously released clip from a European group; nevertheless, the video can be found on their ''Armistice Live'' DVD. The band also released the companion album to their 2007 live DVD, ''Flesh And Bones Electric Fun: Mutemath Live'', via iTunes on January 29, 2008. "Typical" was added as a
downloadable song for the ''
Rock Band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
'' series in early 2009.
In November 2008, the group released "
Spotlight" on the ''
Twilight
Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this il ...
'' film soundtrack album, to favorable reviews. The song was the first single from ''
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
'' and was released digitally February 10, 2009, on the ''Spotlight EP'', which included
B side tracks and a remix of the song by
Son Lux. The group performed "Spotlight" for the first time on ''The Tonight Show'' on January 15, 2009, featuring guest appearances from LaClave and Allen from Club of the Sons and Jeremy Larson, all of whom have worked on the upcoming album. The EP was also released on limited edition vinyl on March 24, 2009.
The group went to work writing and recording their second full-length record in their home studio in New Orleans. The album, ''
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
'', was released in the United States on Teleprompt Records/Warner Bros. Records on August 18, 2009.
During the recording of the album, short videos were posted to the band's
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
profile. These videos documented the work going on in the studio, including street interviews where New Orleans locals were shown samples of the album (which couldn't be heard in the video), recording their reactions. Any clips of actual music from the new album was presented in such a way that it only hinted at what the album would eventually sound like.
On April 4, 2008, Goodwin Films announced they were working on a documentary film about the making of Mutemath's new record.
According to the biography, the group had almost called it quits during the writing of the album. The band had written about 16 songs in the three years spent on the road touring and had expected to cut the list to 10 after settling down to record in their New Orleans home studio. Weeks of working with old ideas and bickering between the bandmates led the group to begin searching for an outside producer to help focus the group and stabilize the tension. During this search, the group met producer
Dennis Herring
Dennis Herring is an American record producer, engineer, mixer, and musician. Herring has produced for The Hives, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, Camper Van Beethoven, and Jars of Clay. The producer owns a 24-track recording st ...
and after hearing his input, decided to scrap all the previously written material and start from scratch, bringing Herring on board as producer of the album. The band worked over the next three months writing almost 20 new songs that would shape ''Armistice''. The band then spent time at Herring's studio in
Oxford, Mississippi, recording the final touches of the album.
On January 14, 2009, King said in an interview that after a break for the holidays, they would "get back to recording in hopes of having everything done in March so that the album can come out in August. It has taken way longer than we would have ever imagined but we're just not done with it yet." Additionally, he mentioned that the album was Mutemath's first album which involved collaboration among all four members of the band.
The title for the sophomore record was confirmed as ''Armistice'' on May 27, 2009 in an interview on InsideBayArea.com and then confirmed on the same day on the Mutemath forums Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records made a joint press release on June 9, 2009, announcing the details of the album release, including the name ''Armistice'' the album cover, and track listing, as well as the official US release date of August 18.
''Armistice'' debuted at No. 18 on the
''Billboard'' 200, with over 18,000 units sold in the first week. The album also charted at No. 4 on ''Billboard'' Rock charts and No. 3 on the Billboard Digital Albums and Billboard Alternative Albums charts the same week.
Upon finishing the 2010 summer tour, the band announced that they would release a DVD/CD combo entitled ''
Armistice Live
''Armistice Live'' is a live concert film and album release from New Orleans electronic rock group Mutemath. The video was released by Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records on October 12, 2010. The DVD features Mutemath's performance from ...
'' on October 12, 2010. Pre-orders included bonus live rarities "Electrify" and "Goodbye", recorded in Japan during the "Armistice" tour.
The band began writing and recording material for their third album in the middle of 2010, shortly after completing their spring tour in support of 30 Seconds to Mars. On April 4, 2011, it was announced that the album had been completed. It was also announced that guitarist Greg Hill had left the band in October 2010. Snippets of "Cavalries", "One More", "Equals", "Prytania", "Walking Paranoia" and "Odd Soul" were released on one of the band's YouTube channels. On June 28, 2011, it was announced that the album would be titled ''Odd Soul'' and would be released on October 4, 2011. On July 18, 2011 the full music video and interactive website for "Odd Soul" were released to the public. On July 29, MuteMath released their VIP tour package for presale on their official site, giving away the name of their first single, "Blood Pressure", available August 8. On August 10, 2011, Todd Gummerman announced on his blog that he was officially replacing Greg Hill as the band's guitar player.
The band supported
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...
and
Incubus on the
Honda Civic Tour
The Honda Civic Tour was an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company and produced by Marketing Factory.
2001
First half
*Headliner: Blink-182
*Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar
Second half
*Headliner: ...
.
2011–present
In an interview with NOLA.com in November 2013, Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas said, "We have a lot of songs, and we're trying to whittle down what those main songs are going to be that seem to have a common thread between them all to make for this album." He goes on to explain that the production of ''Odd Soul'' was a unique process since Todd Gummerman was not yet a part of the band and that all guitar parts were written by all members of the band, who are all multi-instrumentalists. It is worth noting that the band has not yet released material written by Todd Gummerman, and the band has not discussed any writing processes including him, although certain posts in Darren King's Vine account show Todd present and active during the writing process.
When asked about what kind of influences and sounds the band has in mind for the future potential album release, Roy stated, "Anything is fair play for us, as long as we can pull it off convincingly." Paul Meany also responded to a fan question via Twitter in January 2014 asking about the amount of music the band had written saying, "I can tell
ouwe've written more songs for this record than for the past 3 combined."
On September 25, 2013, Darren King posted a
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
of a sample of a new song the band was working on. This was followed on November 9 when Darren posted a short clip of Todd and what appears to be Roy at work in the process of writing new material. In 2014 Mutemath begin playing new material live. Songs included "Monument", "Stratosphere", "Light Up" and "Used To".
MuteMath officially announced the title of their new album as ''
Vitals'' on May 21, 2015, via their official Facebook page.
''Vitals'' was released on November 13, 2015. The band toured in the US and Europe during the Spring of 2016 on the Vitals World Tour in support of the album with special guests
Nothing But Thieves and
Paper Route. A planned Australian leg of the tour was cancelled so the band could join
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in Letter case, all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris ...
on their ''
Emotional Roadshow World Tour
Emotional Roadshow World Tour (stylized as EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WØRLD TØUR) is the fifth concert tour by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, in support of their album ''Blurryface''. The tour began on May 31, 2016 in Cincinnati and c ...
'', which took place in Summer 2016.
After completing the tour with Twenty One Pilots, the band announced their first remix album ''Changes''. The album consists of new versions of tracks from ''Vitals'' with contributions from Yachtclub,
JT Daly
Justin Thomas "JT" Daly (born January 2, 1981) is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and visual artist, known also as the frontman for Nashville-based rock band Paper Route. His recent production and co-writing work include Pvris's new ...
, and Flint Eastwood and features the new title track as the single from the release. The album was released on September 23, 2016.
On May 3, 2017, Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas announced his departure from MuteMath and the group announced that Jonathan Allen would be joining the group on tour starting May 6, 2017.
Mutemath began posting snippets of a new song on their official website on June 4, 2017 counting down to the release of the single "Hit Parade" on June 6, 2017. The press release for the song revealed that it is the first single from the group's upcoming fifth studio album, ''Play Dead'', to be released September 8, 2017. Meany stated that the record took five years to record and work on it began before their 2015 release ''Vitals''. The album release will be accompanied by a fall headlining tour.
The tour was announced on June 12, 2017, and will include dates in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.
On August 8, 2017, Paul Meany announced that Darren King left the band and would not be accompanying Mutemath on the Play Dead Live Tour. Paul Meany later stated he would be continuing to make music under the name Mutemath as a solo project.
On November 19, 2018, Paul Meany released a video for a new song "Voice In the Silence", and a new four song EP of the same name was released on December 5, 2018. This EP was the first Mutemath release as a solo project of Paul Meany. The limited-pressing vinyl version of the ''Voice in the Silence'' EP contained four bonus tracks that were not included on the streaming version of the EP. "Love Light a Way" was released in December 2021.
Religion
Mutemath has resisted being classified as a Christian band, even suing their record label Warner Brothers over being marketed as such.
Paul Meany stated in an interview in 2006 that if his previous band
Earthsuit
Earthsuit was a New Orleans-based Christian rock band formed in 1995. The band consisted of guitarist Dave Rumsey, keyboardist/vocalist Paul Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell, drummer David "Hutch" Hutchison, and vocalist Adam LaClave. Earthsuit's so ...
(a Christian act) "inspired anything, it was what not to do."
Drummer Darren King has also stated that he does not consider the band to be Christian. While ''Armistice'' explored themes of doubt and pessimism that the band has gone so far as to call "atheistic", Meany stated that the idea for the album ''Odd Soul'' was "loosely based on our upbringing in what I guess you could call eccentric Christianity," and King further explained that they wanted to celebrate their "weird religious roots."
''Rolling Stone'' has also noted this connection, calling them "kinda sorta a Christian rock band."
Band members
Current
*
Paul Meany
Paul Meany (born July 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and keyboardist for the alternative rock band Mutemath.
Career
While under the mon ...
– lead vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, guitar (2002–present); bass guitar (2002–2004; 2018–present); drums, percussion (2017–present)
Touring musicians
* David Hutchison – drums (2017–present)
Former
* Greg Hill – guitar, vocals (2003-2010)
*
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas (born July 25, 1977 in Houston, Texas) is an American musician, writer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was the bassist (and sometimes guitarist) for the rock band Mutemath, as well as the bassist for Earthsuit. Mitchell-Cárd ...
– guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals (2004–2017)
*
Darren King
Darren Charles King (born June 25, 1982) is an American drummer and percussionist, best known for his association with the band Mutemath until his permanent departure in August 2017. He played the drums for the New Orleans-based Christian rock ba ...
– drums, percussion (2002–2017)
* Todd Gummerman – guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, tambourine, violin, programmer, vocals (2011–2018)
* Jonathan Allen – bass guitar, keyboard, drums, guitar (2004, 2017–2018)
Collaborative contributors
* Adam LaClave (2002–present)
* Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas (2017–present)
Timeline
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at:09/08/2017 color:album
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Remix albums
EPs
Singles
Compilations and other media
*"TOPxMM" – with
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in Letter case, all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris ...
(2016)
*"Allies" – ''
Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2012 video game) ''
*"Blood Pressure" – ''
Asphalt 8: Airborne''
*"Chaos" – ''
Aware 11''
*"Transformers Theme" – ''
Transformers: The Album''
*"You Are Mine" appeared in the 2008 movies ''
Never Back Down
''Never Back Down'' is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school a ...
'' and ''
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''. The original cast (Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel) return to ...
''
*"
Spotlight (Twilight Mix)"
*"Typical" appeared in ''
The Stepfather'' (2009), and was also used in a
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
commercial
*"Valium" – ''
Soundtrack 90210
''Soundtrack 90210'' is the first soundtrack album from the television series '' 90210'' since it relaunched in 2008. The album features 14 tracks that appeared in season two of ''90210''.
During production of the second season of ''90210'', exec ...
'' (2009)
*"J Train (Math Remix)" is a remix of
tobyMac
Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...
's "J Train", on his remix album called ''
Re:Mix Momentum''
Awards and nominations
Awards
*
Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...
2005 Best Modern Rock Song - "Control".
Nominations
*
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
2008 Best Short Form Music Video - "Typical".
Filmography
* ''
Flesh and Bones Electric Fun'' (
Teleprompt/
WBR, 2007)
— DVD Release Date: March 20, 2007
* ''
Armistice Live
''Armistice Live'' is a live concert film and album release from New Orleans electronic rock group Mutemath. The video was released by Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records on October 12, 2010. The DVD features Mutemath's performance from ...
'' (
Teleprompt/
WBR/Goodwin Films, 2010)
— DVD Release Date: October 12, 2010
Tours
* Early 2005 – The Reset Tour with
Mat Kearney
* Late 2005 – The Music Is Much Too Loud Tour with Mae and Circa Survive
* Early 2006 – The Album Release Tour with
Vedera
Vedera (formerly Veda) was an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band was founded as Veda in 2003 by members Kristen May, Brian Little, Jason Douglas and Drew Little. They released ''The Weight of an Empty Room'', their first ...
,
The Working Title
The Working Title was formed in 2001 and released their first E.P. ''Everyone Here Is Wrong'' in 2003. The EP was rated 5 out of 5 in Alternative Press Magazine, which also labeled The Working Title "A Band To Watch". The band's next LP, About F ...
,
Under the Influence of Giants
Under the Influence of Giants (sometimes abbreviated UTIOG) was an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. They released their major label debut album in August 2006, which was a number one hit on the Top Heatseekers chart. ...
and
Lovedrug
Lovedrug is an American alternative/indie rock band formed in Alliance, Ohio, United States, in 2002 by singer/guitarist Michael Shepard.
History
Lovedrug released their first EP, the ''Lovedrug'' EP, with the follow-up EP, the ''Rocknroll'' ...
* Late 2006 – Tour with
Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2002. The band is composed of guitarist/vocalist Chad Petree, vocalist Carah Faye Charnow, keyboardist Jeremy Dawson, and drummer Mikey Martin.
Their first studio alb ...
,
The Whigs,
Jonezetta
Jonezetta was an American rock band from Clinton, Mississippi, which released two full-length albums on Tooth and Nail Records in the 2000s.
History Early Years and ''Popularity'' (2002-2006)
Jonezetta formed when its four members were still ...
, and Club of the Sons
* Early 2007 –
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
& Flesh And Bones Electric Fun Tour with
The Cinematics,
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) is an American indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. They are named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their first full-length album, ''Bro ...
, Club of the Sons, and one show with
Wolfmother
* Late 2007 – Tour with
Eisley
* Late 2009 – Armistice Tour
* Late 2011 – Odd Soul Introduction Tour
* Early 2012 – Odd Soul Tour
* Early 2016 – Vitals World Tour with
Nothing But Thieves
* 2016 –
Emotional Roadshow World Tour
Emotional Roadshow World Tour (stylized as EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WØRLD TØUR) is the fifth concert tour by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, in support of their album ''Blurryface''. The tour began on May 31, 2016 in Cincinnati and c ...
with
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in Letter case, all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris ...
* Late 2017 – Play Dead Tour with
Colony House and
ROMES
References
External links
YouTube Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Math, Mute
Alternative rock groups from Louisiana
Indie rock musical groups from Louisiana
Musical groups from New Orleans
Musical groups established in 2003
Word Records artists
Warner Records artists