Motion City Soundtrack’s road to success has been plagued with its share of mines. Throughout musical generations there’s always been a dozen overnight sensations for every workhorse band that claws its way up the industry ladder, and MCS never had it that easy. That’s not to say they’ve back-stabbed their way to a # 15 Billboard chart position; they’ve just had to haul a long-ass road to get to where they are — sporadic lineup changes, 11 years of moving around through different labels, different managers, and different incarnations didn’t exactly help. From an almost non-existent label to Epitaph, the Minnesotans have finally reached the big time with a Columbia Records contract. It’s all this hard work, along with the usual relentless promotion, excessive touring, and months and months of practice that’s earned them a coveted spot at the House of Blues in Anaheim (okay, Disneyland, but still). I recently met up with bassist Matt Taylor to discuss Christopher Cross, casinos, and cake, along with the usual band banter.
