Mike Herrera

For the baseball player, see Mike Herrera (baseball).

Mike Herrera
Background information
Birth name	Michael Arthur Herrera
Born	November 6, 1976 (1976-11-06) Bremerton, Washington, US
Genres	Skate punk, punk rock, pop punk, alt-country, country rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	SideOneDummy, A&M, Tooth & Nail, Fat Wreck Chords
Associated acts	MxPx, Arthur, The Cootees, Tumbledown
Website	www.mxpx.com
Notable instruments
Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4-string, Takamine acoustic guitars

Michael Arthur Herrera (b. November 6, 1976) is an American musician most widely known as the vocalist and bass guitarist for the pop punk band MxPx, as well as being the front-man of his new band Tumbledown.

Early life

Herrera was born in Bremerton, Washington to Art and Michele Herrera and is of Mexican descent. He is the middle of three children and has an older sister and a younger sister. His parents still live in Bremerton in the house he grew up in. Herrera started MxPx while he was in high school with friends Andy Husted and Yuri Ruley with the band's first performance in his back yard.

Career

MxPx

Herrera was the primary songwriter and vocalist as well as playing the bass guitar in the pop punk band MxPx.Herrera started the band with Andy Husted and Yuri Ruley in the summer of 1992, just before starting high school. In time it became clear that Andy was unable or unwilling to go on tours. Andy left the band and was replaced by Tom Wisniewski who (at the time) had little experience playing guitar and was more proficient on the drums.

Tumbledown

Herrera recently created the band Mike Herrera's Tumbledown with guitarist Jack Parker, bassist Marshall Trotland, and drummer Harley Trotland. The band draws influences from being on tour as well as from "great American songwriters" such as Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. The sound of Herrera's new project differs greatly from MxPx taking a lighter, more country inspired sound. He says “It's all about the songs. What it sounds like depends on who you are,” and “I don't claim that we're a country band... we're just a band...I just like the fact that it's a different sound,” Herrera says. “Different than a country band, different than a punk rock band, different than a rockabilly band -- we're somewhere there in the ether, somewhere in between it all.”

Other music

He has produced albums such as "At Any Rate" by Too Bad Eugene and "Future Plans Undecided" by Element (101). He sang backing vocals on some of the songs as well as on others such as "Radio #2" from The Ataris album "So Long, Astoria" and "Runaway" by Amber Pacific, on their album Truth in Sincerity..

He has been in several side projects. They are:Tumbledown, Arthur (MxPx plus their former bass tech Neil), The Cootees (Mike Herrera, Jiles Brandon, Tom Wisniewski, and Dale Yob).

Herrera opened his own music production studio, Monkey Trench, in Bremerton on July 1, 2008. Herrera avidly endorses Ernie Ball/Musicman Stingray basses and strings and has used them on every Mxpx recording. For amplification he uses an Hartke LH1000 head and a Hartke 8x10 cabinet. Herrera is also endorsed by Takamine Acoustic Guitars, Sparrow Guitars, Mesa Boogie Amps, Samson Tech and Latin Percussion.

Herrera is also part of the MXPX All Stars with Kris Roe of The Ataris on guitar and Chris Wilson of The Summer Obsession on drums.

Herrera also appeared in the video for A Day to Remember's single "All I Want," alongside musicians such as Andrew W.K., Pierce the Veil, Trivium, and Pete Wentz and many more.

Herrera co-wrote a song with Art of Dying. It did not make the album but can be streamed on their singer's, Jonny Hetherington, myspace page.

Personal life

Herrera married his wife Holli in 2001. The two currently reside in Bremerton, Washington, with their cat and two dogs. Herrera not only plays bass but guitar and piano as well.

Herrera is a Christian, along with the other members of Mxpx, although they prefer to not be called a Christian band. On the topic of their faith Mike Herrera has been quoted saying "We are Christian. It’s not a cult or something. It’s part of our story and I guess it’s different and controversial. But it’s a personal thing. It’s what we choose to believe. That’s all there is to it. We don’t preach to anyone."

Discography

Studio albums

• MxPx — Pokinatcha (1994), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Teenage Politics (1995), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Life In General (1996), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• The Cootees — Let's Play House (1997), lead vocals on 7 songs, background vocals and guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo (1998), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — The Ever Passing Moment (2000), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Before Everything & After (2003), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Panic (2005), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album. Piano and electric keyboard on select songs.
• MxPx — Secret Weapon (2007), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — On The Cover II (2009), vocals and bass on the entire album.
• Tumbledown — Tumbledown (2009), vocals and acoustic and electric guitar on the entire album.
• Tumbledown — Empty Bottle (2010), vocals and acoustic and electric guitar on the entire album.

EPs

• MxPx — On The Cover (1995), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album. Guitar on 3 songs on the album.
• MxPx — Move to Bremerton (1996), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• Arthur — Loneliness Is Bliss (1999), vocals and electric guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — The Renaissance EP (2001), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album. Electric keyboard and piano on select songs.
• Tumbledown — Atlantic City EP (2007), vocals and electric guitar.

Compilations

• MxPx — Let It Happen (1998), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• MxPx — Ten Years & Running (2002), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• Various Artists — "JoshuaFest 2005" (2005), vocals and guitar with Jordan Tyler on "On My Own" (the song was also featured in MTV's The Real World: Austin).
• MxPx — Let's Rock (2006), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album, acoustic guitar on a few songs.

Live albums

• MxPx — At The Show (1999), vocals and bass guitar on the entire album.
• Tumbledown — Live In Tulsa (2010) vocals and acoustic guitar on the entire album. Upright Bass on 2 songs.

As producer

• The Water Tower Bucket Boys — Sole Kitchen (2010), Producer and engineer, vocals on Blackbird Pickin' At A Squirrel.

External links

• MxPx official site
• MxPx official MySpace
• Mike Herrera's Top 10 of 2009