Much the Same

Lead singer and guitarist Chris "Gunner" McGrath and bassist Andy Simon started playing songs together with various people and bands beginning in 1997. When McGrath decided to put out a local punk rock compilation entitled Fun With Dirt, he recruited SKG's drummer, Mike "Mook" Snoreck, to learn and record the song, and he joined immediately afterward. This marked the official beginning of the band's career.

Soon afterward, Simon left to play guitar in SKG, and their bassist Adam Mufich took his place. This lineup went on to play their first appearance on the Vans Warped Tour in Chicago in 2000. Andy Simon later rejoined as a second guitarist in September 2000, only to leave again along with Mufich six months later, but not before recording the band's first CD, the Caught Off Guard EP. Franky Tsoukalas and Matt Haraburda replaced them before the EP was released and their picture appears in the booklet despite the fact that they did not record the songs.

In 2001, it was at this point that the band decided they needed to change their name, leading to a rushed search for a new name commenced, producing largely unsatisfactory results. In frustration, McGrath started searching through a thesaurus for any word or phrase that stood out, and "much the same" stuck out due to its appearance in the lyrics of his side band's song "Big Surprise." The band decided the name was fitting, since it described the change of name as being irrelevant to the music of the band, and also served as self-deprecation acknowledging their similarity to many other popular punk bands of the time. Furthermore, at this point the incestuous emigration continued as Matt left to join Andy Simon's new band and SKG's singer/guitarist Dan O'Gorman was invited to join Much The Same.

In December 2001, the new lineup recorded a 3-song demo which eventually got the band signed to Anti-Flag's label A-F Records, where they released their first full-length album, Quitters Never Win in 2003. During a later tour with A Wilhelm Scream and Break the Silence, Snoreck decided he was no longer interested in the touring life and left the band to pursue his new clothing company, Offset Clothing. The band found Jevin Kaye after his St. Louis, Missouri band Form Follows Failure had broken up, and invited him to join. This lineup recorded the Nitro Records release Survive. In April 2007, after the band's European tour, McGrath left the band for personal reasons, with guitarist Dan O'Gorman leaving soon after, prompting the official break-up of the band.

The band announced on March 30, 2015 that they reunited with former Break the Silence drummer, Mike Ford, on drums.{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/57419/much-the-same-announces-reunion|title=Much The Same announces reunion|last=Punknews.org|website=www.punknews.org|accessdate=18 January 2018}} In April, 2017, the band announced that Jevin had returned as the full-time drummer and would accompany them on their first South American tour later that year. In August, 2017, the band stated that Dan has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Cancer and will not be joining the band on their South American Tour, they have also stated that John Feliciano, formerly of Hit The Switch and One Last Chance, will be filling in for Dan.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BYGb8ooDtvr/|title=Instagram post by Much The Same • Aug 22, 2017 at 3:09pm UTC|website=Instagram|accessdate=18 January 2018}} On 10 January they released the Song "Making Friends" (original by Lagwagon) digital. On June 7, 2019, the band unveiled the first single from their new album Everything Is Fine titled "Snake In The Grass".

On November 28, 2021, Much the Same announced that Feliciano was joining the band as a permanent member,{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/muchthesame/status/1464993817325715464|title=Much The Same on Twitter "We are beyond thrilled to announce that our boy John Feliciano is now officially the fifth member of Much The Same! More info here: https _t.co_Jef5bIiX4Q"|website=Twitter|accessdate=15 April 2022}} making the band a five piece for the first time of its existence.

On July 8, 2024, Much The Same posted a statement on their Instagram, announcing they are disbanding.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Kems_RnSm/?igsh=MWZlNDF3ZWQ5NnU2NQ== |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=www.instagram.com}}

• Chris "Gunner" McGrath - vocals, guitar (1999-2007, 2011, 2015–2024)
• Franky Tsoukalas - bass, vocals (2001-2007, 2011, 2015–2024)
• Dan O'Gorman - guitar, vocals (2001-2007, 2011, 2015–2024)
• Jevin Kaye - drums (2003-2007, 2011, 2017–2024)
• John Feliciano - guitar (2021–2024)

• Mike Ford - drums (2015-2017)
• Mike "Mook" Snoreck - drums (1999-2003)
• Andy Simon - bass (1999), guitar, vocals (2000-2001)
• Adam Mufich - bass, vocals (1999-2001)
• Matt Haraburda - guitar (2001)

• Quitters Never Win (2003, A-F Records)
• Survive (2006, Nitro Records)
• Everything Is Fine (2019, Lockjaw Records, Thousand Islands Records, Pee Records)

• Caught Off Guard EP (2001, Tank Records)

• Fun With Dirt: The Greatest Bands You've Never Heard (1999, Fun With Dirt Records)
• "Father & Son" (Original Version)
• Fun With Dirt 2: Songs You'll Like If You Have Good Taste (2000, Fun With Dirt Records)
• "Sample"
• 2 Sugar Sampler Vol. 2 (2002, Jumpstart Records)
• "Quitters Never Win" (Demo version)
• "One of a Kind" (Demo version)
• I Killed Punk Rock (2006, Bouncing Betty Records)
• "The Greatest Betrayal" (Demo Version)
• HAIR: Chicago Punk Cuts (2006, Thick Records)
• "The Greatest Betrayal" (Alternate demo version)

• In their song "Wish," they use a quote from the film Boondock Saints.
• In their song "Moto," they use a quote from the film That Thing You Do!.
• Though having nothing to do with the movie, the title of "Miss the Pain" was inspired by a line in the movie Swingers.
• On the Japanese import of their album Survive there is a bonus track entitled "Seasons Change" featuring guest vocals and guitar by Nick Diener, lead singer of The Swellers.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Bandcamp}} {{Discogs artist}} {{MusicBrainz artist}}
• [http://www.muchthesame.com Much The Same official site]
• [http://www.myspace.com/muchthesame Much The Same on Myspace.com]
• [http://www.purevolume.com/muchthesame Much The Same on PureVolume.com]
• [http://www.interpunk.com/search.cfm?&searchfor=Much%20The%20Same& Much The Same on Interpunk.com]
• [http://www.nitrorecords.com/artist.php?artist_id=36 Much The Same on NitroRecords.com]
• [http://www.punknews.org/bands/muchthesame Much The Same on PunkNews.org]
• [http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=2185 Much The Same on Absolutepunk.net]

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Category:Musical groups established in 1999

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2007

Category:Musical groups from Chicago

Category:Pop punk groups from Illinois

Category:A-F Records artists

Category:Skate punk groups

Category:1999 establishments in Illinois

Category:Nitro Records artists