MxPx is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington, formed in 1992 by Mike Herrera, Yuri Ruley, and Andy Husted. Originally called Magnified Plaid, the group shortened its name for use on concert posters, eventually adopting the distinctive MxPx spelling after Ruley replaced the periods with Xs. The band began as a teenage trio influenced by melodic punk and skate punk, particularly the fast, concise songwriting associated with Southern California groups.
MxPx attracted early attention through a self-released recording and a showcase for Tooth & Nail Records. The label issued the band's debut album, Pokinatcha, in 1994, while its members were still in high school. The record established the group's basic formula: rapid tempos, catchy choruses, youthful energy, and songs shaped by both everyday experience and Christian-punk concerns. Teenage Politics followed in 1995, while Life in General (1996) expanded the band's audience and became one of its defining releases. Its songs "Chick Magnet" and "Move to Bremerton" helped turn MxPx into a prominent name in the 1990s punk scene.
The band's growing profile led to a contract with A&M Records. Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo (1998) marked MxPx's transition toward a larger mainstream audience without abandoning its brisk, melodic style. The group supported the album extensively and released the live recording At the Show in 1999. The Ever Passing Moment (2000) produced "Responsibility," one of MxPx's best-known songs and a radio success. Its accompanying music video presented the band in a playful, comic setting, an approach that suited MxPx's combination of earnest songwriting and irreverent punk presentation.
MxPx continued its major-label period with Before Everything & After (2003), which became the band's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200. After leaving A&M, the group signed with SideOneDummy Records and released Panic in 2005. The album emphasized the band's harder-edged punk roots and included "Heard That Sound" as well as a guest appearance by Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus. MxPx remained a regular presence on the Vans Warped Tour and became known for its steady touring schedule and energetic live performances.
A return to Tooth & Nail produced Secret Weapon in 2007. The band later began releasing music through its own Rock City Recording Company, including Plans Within Plans (2012), the Christmas album Punk Rawk Christmas (2009), and various collections of rarities and acoustic material. A re-recorded version of Life in General, titled Life in General 2.0, appeared in 2016.
After fulfilling its label commitments, MxPx returned to a more independent model. A crowdfunding campaign helped finance the self-titled MxPx, released in 2018. The band also remained active during the COVID-19 shutdown through livestream performances and later issued the live album Southbound to San Antonio in 2021. Its eleventh studio album, Find a Way Home, arrived in 2023 and was recorded at the band's own Monkey Trench Studios in Bremerton.
Across more than three decades, MxPx has maintained a consistent identity built on melodic punk, direct songwriting, humor, and independence. The band's ability to move between Christian punk, major-label pop-punk, and self-directed releases has made it a durable part of American punk history.