MOTHXR
{{Short description|American band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = MOTHXR
| image =
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| origin = New York City, United States
| genre = {{hlist|Indie pop|synth-pop|indie}}
| years_active = 2013–present
| label =
| website =
| current_members = Penn Badgley
Jimmy Giannopoulos
Simon Oscroft
Darren Will
| past_members =
}}
Mothxr (stylized as MOTHXR) is a four-piece indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. They are led by Penn Badgley, of Gossip Girl and You fame.
History
Producer Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf, Reputante) and vocalist Penn Badgley, neighborhood friends for years in New York, waited patiently for a sound to manifest beyond their bond based upon an odd pop aesthetic. Bassist Darren Will (Rathborne) was always orbiting, always an obvious partner when the time came. The three finally decided to hole up in a little bungalow in East LA to record for eight days without anything written, without expectation.{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/article/2015/05/14/penn-badgley-talks-music-acting-new-york/ |last=Falcone |first=Dana Rose |title=Penn Badgley on his band MOTHXR, Brooklyn and his future in acting |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |date= |accessdate=January 17, 2019}} Seeking a microphone, they found in the neighborhood one-time-Brooklynite and New Zealand expat Simon Oscroft (No), who proved to be the guitarist they weren't looking for. The spontaneous quartet recorded five songs in five days before taking a breath to see they had, in fact, started a band.{{cite web |url=https://www.last.fm/music/MOTHXR/+wiki |title=MOTHXR biography |publisher=last.fm |date=May 14, 2015 |accessdate=January 17, 2019}}
In early 2014, they released a song titled "Easy" on SoundCloud under the name M O T H E R; the song quickly gained popularity and was posted on numerous blogs.{{cite web |url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/article/rmwbnr/an-interview-with-mother |title=An Interview With Mother |last=Moss |first=Emma-Lee |date=March 6, 2014 |website=Noisey |access-date=January 17, 2019}} Months later, the band changed the spelling of their name to MOTHXR, citing a cease-and-desist from another band with a similar name.{{cite web |url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/q-and-a/a55337/penn-badgley-mothxr-interview/ |title=Penn Badgley Explains the Drama Behind His "Terrible" Band Name |last=Iandoli |first=Kathy |date=March 16, 2016 |website=Cosmopolitan |access-date=January 17, 2019}} In 2015, the band signed with the labels Kitsuné and Washington Square Music, the New York City-based subdivision of the Razor & Tie label.{{cite web |url=http://washingtonsquaremusic.com/artists/mothxr/ |title=MOTHXR |website=Washington Square Music |access-date=January 17, 2019}} MOTHXR has supported acts such as Streets of Laredo, San Cisco, Sir Sly, Har Mar Superstar, The Neighbourhood, and Miami Horror. Their debut album, Centerfold, was released on February 26, 2016.{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/centerfold/1127119855 |title=Centerfold by MOTHXR on Apple Music |website=iTunes |date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=January 17, 2019}}
Band members
- Penn Badgley – vocals, keyboards
- Darren Will – bass guitar
- Simon Oscroft – guitar
- Jimmy Giannopoulos – production, drum programming
Discography
Studio albums
- Centerfold (2016)
Singles
- "Easy" (2014)
- "Touch" (2015)
- "Victim" (2015)
- "She Can't Tell" (2015)
- "Wild ride" (2015)
- "Stranger" (2015)
- "Underground" (2015)
- "Impossible" (2015)