Of Mice & Men (often abbreviated OM&M) is an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band formed in

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for "Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wa ...

, in 2009. The band's line-up currently consists of drummer Valentino Arteaga, guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, and bassist and lead vocalist

Aaron Pauley Aaron Charles Pauley (born August 4, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician born in Vacaville, California. He is most prominently known as the lead vocalist and bassist for the American rock band Of Mice & Men and the lead vocal ...

. The group was founded by former lead vocalist

Austin Carlile Austin Robert Carlile (born September 27, 1987) is an American musician and baseball coach from Pensacola, Florida. He achieved prominence as formerly the lead vocalist of Attack Attack! and Of Mice & Men. After leaving Of Mice & Men, he began ...

and former bassist Jaxin Hall in mid-2009 after Carlile's departure from

Attack Attack! Attack Attack! is an American metalcore band from Westerville, Ohio, originally formed in 2007 as Ambiance, later changing their name. Attack Attack!'s first release, an independent EP titled ''If Guns Are Outlawed, Can We Use Swords?'', was ...

. Carlile departed from the band in December 2016 citing that a long-term health condition prompted his exit. After Carlile's departure, the band continued to pursue creating music with Pauley as the band's bassist and lead vocalist. Since 2009, the band has released seven studio albums: '' Of Mice & Men'' (2010), '' The Flood'' (2011), ''

Restoring Force In physics, the restoring force is a force that acts to bring a body to its equilibrium position. The restoring force is a function only of position of the mass or particle, and it is always directed back toward the equilibrium position of the s ...

'' (2014), '' Cold World'' (2016), '' Defy'' (2018), '' Earthandsky'' (2019), and ''

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the list ...

'' (2021). Of Mice & Men's earlier music has been described as

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

and

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...

. Their later material, however, has been considered to be more melodic and shifted over to genres such as

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...

, and

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

, while retaining their original sound. The band has played international music festivals including the

Vans 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 ...

in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 and Soundwave Music Festival in 2013 and 2015.

History

Formation and debut album (2009–2010)

Of Mice & Men was founded by Austin Carlile, the original

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

Jaxin Hall, an import from

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand during 2009 in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. Carlile and Hall searched for other members for about a month. According to Carlile in an interview, Carlile's desktop background was none other than Valentino Arteaga, drummer of

Lower Definition Lower Definition is an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California, United States, formed in 2002. The band released two studio albums and six EPs before disbanding in 2009. After that they released an EP in 2011 called 'The Infinite ...

, and Jon Kintz of

Odd Project Odd Project was an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, that originally formed in 2000 and has recorded a few demos which resulted in a multi-album deal with Indianola Records. Odd Project then entered the recording studio at ...

. Carlile was amazed when Arteaga was interested in playing drums for the band after being sent an invite over email. The trio then added Phil Manansala, a touring guitarist for

A Static Lullaby A Static Lullaby was an American post-hardcore band that formed in Chino Hills, California, in 2001. History Early years and formation (2001–2002) A Static Lullaby came together after a high school jam session led to the members to quit the ...

and the line-up was set. Carlile and Hall moved to Southern California to join the others. A little while later, Kintz was cut from the band and replaced with Shayley Bourget. With a question at hand asking of the departure of Kintz in a Q&A for the group, Bourget jokingly stated, "Jon didn't cut it." On Kintz's part, he reportedly cited that the band felt he was "partying too much." After reaching 1,000,000 plays from their Myspace profile in just two months since its launch, the band uploaded a cover of

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

's song, " Poker Face". The song was mastered by

Tom Denney Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

, formerly of

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...

and a copy of the demo was sent directly to Rise Records. Recognizing the band as Carlile's new musical project, Of Mice & Men was signed to the label.Interview with Of Mice & MenAlternative Vision
May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011. The group then traveled to the Foundation Studios in

Connersville, Indiana Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...

on July 14, 2009, with

Joey Sturgis Joey Sturgis (born January 3, 1985) is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Sturgis started recording in 2004 including producing the Asking Alexandria single "The Final Episode" whic ...

to record their self-titled debut album. On December 6, 2009, they had two video shoots in

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist des ...

, for "Those in Glass Houses" and "Second & Sebring". The band released their debut album on March 9, 2010. The original release date was February 23, but the album was forced into a delay. A month before the official release, the album was leaked on February 10 by fans who hacked into the system. The music video for "Second & Sebring" was released on

Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, ...

's website and made its television premiere on ''

Headbangers Ball ''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obs ...

'' on March 15, 2010. The band joined the "Squash the Beef Tour" supporting

Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...

, along with

Emarosa Emarosa ( ) is an American rock band formed in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006. The band currently consists of lead guitarist and founding member ER White and lead vocalist Bradley Walden, who joined the band in 2013. The group has undergone severa ...

Tides of Man Tides of Man is an American progressive rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 2008. The now-instrumental band currently consists of members Spencer Gill (lead guitar), Josh Gould (drums), Alan Jaye (bass guitar), and Daniel Miller (guitar). The ba ...

, and

Of Machines Of Machines was an American post-hardcore band from Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Formed in 2006, the band was originally known as We Are Kings. The band released their debut and only album ''As If Everything Was Held in Place'' on March 3, 20 ...

. Also in 2009, Of Mice & Men was support on the "Atticus Tour" along with

Finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usua ...

Blessthefall Blessthefall (stylized as blessthefall or BLESSTHEFALL prior to 2013) was an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, signed to Rise Records. The band was founded in 2004 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist and v ...

Drop Dead, Gorgeous Drop Dead, Gorgeous was an American post-hardcore band from Denver, Colorado. It consisted of frontman Danny Stillman (lead vocals), Kyle Browning (lead guitar), Jake Hansen (bass), Dan Gustavson (rhythm guitar), Jonathan Leary (keys/synth/prog ...

Vanna Vanna () is a given name that first appeared in recorded European history circa 1294. The Italian medieval feminine name originated in Tuscany, and is particular to Florence, Italy. Though similar in pronunciation to the Italian name Giovanna, an ...

, and Let's Get It. After completion of the "Atticus Tour", the band supported

I See Stars I See Stars are an American electronicore band from Warren, Michigan formed in 2006. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Devin Oliver, guitarist Brent Allen, keyboardist and co-vocalist Andrew Oliver, and bass guitarist Jeff Valentine. ...

on the "Leave It to the Suits Tour" with

We Came as Romans We Came as Romans (sometimes abbreviated as WCAR) is an American metalcore band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band has gone through one name change and multiple line-up changes, and signed to SharpTone Records in 2016 after having b ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, and Covendetta.

Departure of Carlile and Hall (2010–2011)

Jerry Roush Gerald Allen "Jerry" Roush (born November 15, 1986) is an American musician, best known as the former vocalist for Sky Eats Airplane, Of Mice & Men, and Glass Cloud. He has also volunteered as a substitute vocalist for American Me during their ...

, who was formerly a part of

Sky Eats Airplane Sky Eats Airplane was an American post-hardcore band from Fort worth, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. The band was signed to indie label Equal Vision Records and most recently released their self-titled full-length album through the label in July 2008 ...

, soon became a permanent addition to Of Mice & Men. Originally, Roush was a substitute for Austin Carlile on the Emptiness Tour in 2010 which featured the band along with

Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee and Patrick Thompson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Recordings and Artery Recordings. Alesa ...

A Skylit Drive A Skylit Drive is an American post-hardcore band from Lodi, California. The band has released one DVD, one EP and five studio albums: '' Wires...and the Concept of Breathing'' (2008), '' Adelphia'' (2009), '' Identity on Fire'' (2011), ''Rise ...

the Word Alive The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of v ...

, and

. Carlile required a heart surgery performed in the near future and was forced to not tour by his doctor. At the same time, Carlile fell into a conflict with the other members. Through much deliberation, the band and Carlile decided to part ways. The group thereafter invited Roush to front Of Mice & Men. The band was featured on the cover for the 19th issue of ''Substream Music Press'' shortly after this decision. After the Emptiness Tour, Of Mice & Men supported Attack Attack! on the "This Is A Family Tour" with

In Fear and Faith In Fear and Faith was an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2006, the group was signed to Rise Records and released three studio albums and two EPs. Their debut full-length, ''Your World on Fire'', being released ...

, Pierce the Veil, and

Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled ''The Compl ...

. Months after Roush joined the band, bassist, Jaxin Hall left the group on August 23, 2010. Hall explained that the reasons for this decision were made to concentrate more on his personal life, as well as his clothing brand, Love Before Glory. Dane Poppin of

, the former band for Phil, substituted as a bassist for Of Mice & Men's then upcoming tour dates after Hall's departure. The group was included in the Punk Goes... compilation, '' Punk Goes Pop Volume 03.'', covering the R&B song, "

Blame It "Blame It" (also known as "Blame It (On the Alcohol)") is a song by American singer and actor Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He beca ...

" by

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film '' Ray'', for which he won the ...

with Poppin on bass and is the only recording by the band to feature Roush's vocals. The band participated in

Warped Tour 2010 The Vans 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 ...

. Shortly after the conclusion of Warped Tour, Of Mice & Men toured the UK in support of

August Burns Red August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Ja ...

and

Carlile's return with Ashby and ''The Flood'' (2011–2012)

Leading onto Roush being a part of the band for already nine months, the group confirmed on January 3, 2011, that they reached a decision to have Jerry Roush leave Of Mice & Men in favor for former vocalist and founding member, Austin Carlile, to return to the group. Roush posted an extended response to his firing from the band on his

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

account. Carlile was under an intention for months to start a new musical project, with fellow musician Alan Ashby, until his request to return to the group was made. Carlile and Ashby were then both accepted into Of Mice & Men, with Ashby as an entirely new member. The group then underwent a slight arrangement, as they required a bassist after several substitutions to which Dane Poppin, of A Static Lullaby, contributed. Poppin's needed return to A Static Lullaby after extensive touring with Of Mice & Men had the group move Shayley Bourget from rhythm guitar to bass guitar, but remain at clean vocals. Alan Ashby was employed as rhythm guitarist. The refreshed band began the recording process of their second album titled '' The Flood'' in late January 2011. Shortly after the album's completion, the band headlined the 2011 annual "Artery Across the Nation Tour" with support from

Woe, Is Me Woe, Is Me is an American metalcore band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2009, the band is signed to Rise Records and its subsidiary, Velocity Records. Their debut album, ''Numbers'', was released on August 31, 2010, and charted at number 16 ...

, Sleeping with Sirens,

I Set My Friends on Fire I Set My Friends on Fire (often abbreviated as ISMFOF) is an experimental rock band from Miami, Florida. The band was formed in 2007 by Matt Mehana and former member Nabil Moo. The group signed with Epitaph Records before releasing their debut ...

, and

the Amity Affliction The Amity Affliction is an Australian metalcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band's current line-up consists of Ahren Stringer (bass, clean vocals), Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar) and Joe Longobardi (drums). T ...

. The band toured Europe and Australia in support of

, along with

I Killed the Prom Queen I Killed the Prom Queen were an Australian metalcore band from Adelaide, formed in 2000. They were prominent in the Australian live music scene and toured the US, Japan and parts of Europe several times. They issued three studio albums: ''When ...

, and Deez Nuts. They also later supported

Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley. Initially formed in 2006 by Ben Bruce ...

on a short four-day UK tour along with

While She Sleeps While She Sleeps are a British metalcore band from Sheffield. Formed in 2006, the group consists of vocalist Lawrence Taylor, guitarists Sean Long and Mat Welsh, bassist Aaran McKenzie and drummer Adam Savage. They are currently signed to th ...

. On May 13, 2011, Of Mice & Men released a brand new single entitled, "Still YDG'N". Also, on May 24, they released a second song entitled, "Purified". "Purified" has been added to the 2011 installment of Sideonedummy's annual Warped Tour compilation. ''The Flood'' was released June 14, 2011. Of Mice & Men participated on all of the

Warped Tour 2011 The Vans 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 l ...

. They were joined by former bassist Jaxin Hall on select California dates for "Second & Sebring". From September 13, 2011 until October 14, 2011, Of Mice & Men supported

on the "I'm Alive Tour" along with

Miss May I Miss May I is an American metalcore band from Troy, Ohio. Formed in 2007, they signed to Rise Records in 2008 and released their debut album, ''Apologies Are for the Weak'' through the label while the members were still attending high school. T ...

Texas in July Texas in July was an American metalcore band from Ephrata, Pennsylvania, formed in 2007. They released an EP, ''Salt of the Earth'', and their debut full-length album, ''I Am'', through CI Records. After signing with Equal Vision Records, they ...

, and Close to Home. Afterward, the group headlined the "

Monster Energy Monster Energy is an energy drink that was created by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002. As of March 2019, Monster Energy had a 35% share of the energy drink market, the second highest share after Red Bull ...

Outbreak Tour" with

Iwrestledabearonce Iwrestledabearonce (often stylized in all lowercase; abbreviated as IWABO) was an American metalcore band formed in 2007 in Shreveport, Louisiana. In their nine years together, they released one EP, four full-length albums, and two remixed rele ...

Abandon All Ships Abandon All Ships is a Canadian metalcore band from Toronto, Ontario. Formed in 2006, it was signed domestically to Universal Music Canada via Underground Operations, along with an American deal to Rise Records and its imprint Velocity Records. ...

, and

That's Outrageous! That's Outrageous! was an American post-hardcore band from Poughkeepsie, New York, formed in the winter of 2010. They were signed to Rise Records in March 2011, shortly after posting two self-produced demos on PureVolume. The band released two fu ...

For the Fallen Dreams For the Fallen Dreams, often abbreviated FTFD, is an American metalcore band from Lansing, Michigan, formed in 2003. The band originally signed to Rise Records but produced one album under Artery Recordings in 2012. After the departure of th ...

was also included on the first half of the tour. Devin Oliver (

) and Christopher Stewart (

) filled in on clean vocals after the departure of Shayley Bourget midway through the tour.

Departure of Shayley Bourget and ''The Flood'' Deluxe Reissue (2012)

In 2012, the group announced that they were returning to the studio to begin work on their third release. On February 9, the announcement of Shayley Bourget's departure from the band was released to the public via Facebook and YouTube. Shayley had also released a video statement on YouTube, stating the reasons he had to discontinue with the band. He suffered from depression and alcoholism, along with other personal problems, and felt that he was bringing the other band members down. Shayley stated he will not be returning to the band. Shayley has since been the lead vocalist for

Dayshell Dayshell is an American metal band from Southern California, United States. Their debut self-titled was released on October 15, 2013. The band's second album, ''Nexus'', was released on October 7, 2016. The band released their third album calle ...

. On March 2, the band announced via Facebook that Austin Carlile would be taking over on all vocals for Of Mice & Men's third studio album. On March 25,

Confide Confide is an encrypted instant messaging application for most major operating systems. It was first released in 2013 on iOS, and is known for its self-destructing messaging system that deletes messages immediately after reading. The platform offe ...

drummer/vocalist

Joel Piper Joel Piper (born October 18, 1985) is a Mexican singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and disc jockey born in Sonora, Mexico. He most famously known for being the ex-drummer and clean vocalist for the metalcore band Confide (band), Confid ...

announced he would be filling in on bass for the next run of shows. A reissue of ''The Flood'' was released on July 24, 2012. It contains two discs, featuring four brand new tracks. For Vans Warped Tour 2012,

Jamie's Elsewhere Jamie's Elsewhere are an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California, United States, in 2005. They were signed to Victory Records before deciding not to renew their contract with the label, and have released three full-length al ...

substituted on bass guitar and clean vocals. Pauley has since stated that he is no longer a band member of Jamie's Elsewhere, but he did not leave on bad terms.

Arrival of Pauley, ''Restoring Force'' and ''Live at Brixton'' (2012–2016)

On December 4, 2012, the band indicated they were writing material for their next album, Stating "we are currently home from tour for the remainder of 2012 and are now back in our studio working on our brand new album!" The band entered the studio in June 2013 to begin pre-production on the album with producer

David Bendeth David Jonathan Bendeth (born 17 June 1954) is a multi-platinum award-winning record producer. Early life David Bendeth was born on 17 June 1954 in Stoke Newington, Hackney, London, England. He attended Parkhill School in Ilford, London and in ...

. On October 1, 2013, it was announced that the band had finished tracking for their new album, having spent the summer in New Jersey recording the album, with David Bendeth, who was in the processing of mixing the album. On October 17, 2013, ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' released the first studio video and announced the completion of the band's third album. On November 26, the band released a teaser for a big announcement to come the following day. The next day, the band announced their third studio album named ''

'', due for release on January 24, 2014, in North America. They also announced dates for a UK headlining tour in April 2014 with Issues and Beartooth. On December 2, the band released their first single from ''Restoring Force''. The single, " You're Not Alone", is the band's first release with new bassist and clean vocalist Aaron Pauley. They announced that "Bones Exposed" would be the next song released from the new album; it was released on December 23. After the album was released, the band toured as a support act for British

band

Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon (often abbreviated as BMTH) are a British rock band formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group consists of lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls and keyboardist Jordan Fis ...

, along with metalcore band Issues, on the "American Dream Tour" throughout America, starting early February and finishing in late March. Once the tour finished, the band headlined in the UK, with Issues and Beartooth supporting them throughout April. A music video for the third single of the album "Would You Still Be There" was released on May 15, 2014. Starting from May 23, the band supported

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

, finishing in early June. In July, it was announced that the band will be the main support for the

band

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 ...

on their European tour in November. On October 8, 2014, the band posted photos of them back in the studio with David Bendeth on Twitter. On October 23, the band released a music video for the song "Feels Like Forever". On December 16, a deluxe edition of ''Restoring Force'' was announced entitled ''Restoring Force: Full Circle'', which will include three new tracks and an acoustic version of "Feels Like Forever", and is set to be released on February 24, 2015. On February 5, 2015, the band premiered a new single "Broken Generation", with an accompanying music video. The following day, the single was available to listen to through streaming library

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

. On May 27, 2016, the band released their first live album, titled '' Live at Brixton''.

''Cold World'' and Carlile's second departure (2016–2017)

On June 28, 2016, the band announced their fourth studio album, '' Cold World'', which was released on September 9, 2016 through Rise Records. On the same day, they released the album's lead single, "Pain", accompanied with its music video. On August 4, the band released the second single of the album titled "Real" and its corresponding music video. On August 30, the band released the third and final single of the album titled "Contagious". On December 30, Austin Carlile posted on his Instagram that he's leaving the band to focus on healing and getting better while moving to

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, leaving the band with only two of its founding members remaining. It was also revealed on February 17, 2017 that one of the other reasons Carlile had left the band was because he wasn't allowed to write what he wanted on the next record. In a reply to an Instagram comment about whether or not he would be working with Of Mice & Men in the future, he said "No I will no longer be writing with them, one of the reasons I left. They weren't going to let me write what I wanted on next record. That's not gonna happen. I will write what I want despite what that means giving up."

''Defy'' (2017–2018)

The band performed without former vocalist Carlile on April 21, 2017, at the Las Rageous Festival in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Three days later, on April 24, the band released the single "Unbreakable," and "Back to Me" on May 22. marking their first singles with Pauley as lead vocalist. Of Mice & Men released a short documentary on YouTube titled after the first track after Carlile's departure, "Unbreakable". The documentary addressed the struggles and triumphs of the band after losing a vital part of the show. Directed by Johann Ramos depicting the band's touring schedule in early 2017. This 'Unbreakable' film shows Of Mice & Men on their latest festival performances across multiple continents performing their songs & giving audiences an inside look at their touring regiment. On November 10, 2017, the band released the third single with Pauley on vocals, titled "Warzone". Along with the release of "Warzone", the band announced their first complete record with Pauley as lead vocalist titled '' Defy''. Weeks later, the band released the title track, "Defy", on November 27, 2017. The fifth single, a cover of

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

's "

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

", was released worldwide on January 12, 2018. On January 19, ''Defy'' was released worldwide.

''Earthandsky'' (2018–2021)

On October 10, 2018, Aaron Pauley announced that the band is working on a new album with producer Josh Wilbur. Pauley has also stated that the new record will be 'heavier' compared to ''Defy''. On February 14, 2019, the band released a new song called "How to Survive" which, as they stated, sounded much heavier than tracks from their previous album ''Defy.'' On May 3, the band released another new song titled "Mushroom Cloud" and its corresponding music video. On June 26, DJ and producer

Kayzo Hayden Capuozzo (born October 8, 1991), better known by his stage name Kayzo, is an American DJ and producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for remixing songs and incorporating trap and hardstyle genres into his remixes. His ...

along with other artist Yultron released a collaboration track with the band titled "Night Terror" marking the band's first collaboration with other artists. 20190803 Wacken Wacken-Open-Air Of-Mice-and-Men 0263

20190803 Wacken Wacken-Open-Air Of-Mice-and-Men 0263

On July 26, the band announced their new album titled '' Earthandsky'' set for release on September 27, 2019. They also released the title track and video for "Earth & Sky". On September 5, the band released the fourth single of the album titled "Taste of Regret" along with an accompanying music video.

New label, EP trilogy and ''Echo'' (2021–present)

On January 13, 2021, the band revealed that they had parted ways with Rise Records and signed with

SharpTone Records SharpTone Records is an American independent record label started on September 11, 2013. The label was founded by Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger and former vice president of Sumerian Records Shawn Keith. The label's roster includes an amalgama ...

. At the same time, they released a new single "Obsolete" and announced that their debut EP, '' Timeless'', would be released on February 26, 2021. On January 18, Pauley announced via Twitter that this would be the first of three EPs released in the year. On February 10, two weeks before the EP release, the band released the title track "Timeless". On April 21, the band announced that their second EP, ''

Bloom Bloom or blooming may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant * Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system * Jellyfish bloom, a collective n ...

'', would be released on May 28, 2021. That same day, they unveiled a new single and title track "Bloom". On September 29, the band released a brand new single "Mosaic". On October 19, the band released the single "Fighting Gravity" and announced that their third EP, ''

Ad Infinitum ''Ad infinitum'' is a Latin phrase meaning "to infinity" or "forevermore". Description In context, it usually means "continue forever, without limit" and this can be used to describe a non-terminating process, a non-terminating ''repeating'' pro ...

'', was set for release on December 3, 2021. The group also surprise announced their seventh studio album, ''

'', which was released along with the EP and compiles all three EPs that were released throughout the year. At the same time, they revealed the album cover and the track list. On November 24, one week before the EP and album release, the band unveiled the title track of the record.

Musical style and influences

Of Mice & Men have been described as

melodic metalcore Melodic metalcore is a fusion genre, incorporating elements of melodic death metal and metalcore; it has a heavy emphasis on melodic instrumentation, distorted guitar tones, palm muting, double bass drumming, blast beats, metalcore-stylized brea ...

, heavy metal,

melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and ...

, and

arena rock Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...

. The band's debut self-titled album has been considered a typical metalcore album comparable with the work of the Devil Wears Prada,

, and Austin Carlile's former band Attack Attack!, and to contain elements of post-hardcore Their second album, '' The Flood'', was described as atypical to modern metalcore and more melodic than their earlier work, and as featuring some nu metal songs. Their third album, ''Restoring Force'', incorporated a lot more nu metal elements into their sound, with a ''

Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, e ...

'' review describing the album's style as a mixture of nu metal and metalcore. Their fourth album, '' Cold World'', saw them embracing the nu metal sound heard from ''Restoring Force'' with the album taking influence from early-2000s nu metal. Their fifth album, '' Defy'', marked the first album without founding vocalist Austin Carlile with the band's bassist Aaron Pauley taking over both clean and

unclean vocals A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

. The album also marked the return to their heavy sound, however still keeping elements from their fourth album. The band's style employs a contrast between harsh vocals and standard singing. Currently, frontman/bassist Aaron Pauley performs both techniques. Of Mice & Men's influences include bands such as

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

Papa Roach Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, guitarist Jerry Horton, drummer Dave Buckner, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luther. After ...

P.O.D. P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...

, Slipknot,

Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and dr ...

and

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

Band name

When asked about the band's name origin, former vocalist Austin Carlile responded with: Former bassist Jaxin Hall also commented, stating:

Band members

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...

History

Formation and debut album (2009–2010)

Departure of Carlile and Hall (2010–2011)

Carlile's return with Ashby and ''The Flood'' (2011–2012)

Departure of Shayley Bourget and ''The Flood'' Deluxe Reissue (2012)

Arrival of Pauley, ''Restoring Force'' and ''Live at Brixton'' (2012–2016)

''Cold World'' and Carlile's second departure (2016–2017)

''Defy'' (2017–2018)

''Earthandsky'' (2018–2021)

New label, EP trilogy and ''Echo'' (2021–present)

Musical style and influences

Band name

Band members

Discography

Tours

Awards and nominations

References

External links