Commit This to Memory is the second studio album by American rock band Motion City Soundtrack. Produced by Mark Hoppus, the album was released on June 7, 2005, in the United States by Epitaph Records. The Minnesota-based rock act formed in 1997, developing their emotionally-charged, pop-punk sound over the interim years. Their debut LP, I Am the Movie, saw release on independent label Epitaph in 2003. It was followed with a heavy touring schedule, including stints on the Warped Tour and as the opening act for multi-platinum group Blink-182. Blink bassist Mark Hoppus took a liking to the quintet, offering to produce their next studio effort.
Recorded over six weeks in late 2004, Commit This to Memory was created largely at Seedy Underbelly Studios, a suburban home converted into a studio in Los Angeles' Valley Village region. The album was partially composed there and in their hometown of Minneapolis, during a period in which frontman Justin Pierre was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. He aimed for stronger storytelling in his lyricism, inspired by the work of Tom Waits, Ben Folds, and John K. Samson. Hoppus mainly worked with the band on finalizing song arrangements.
Upon release, the album was viewed as the band's breakthrough, with its gold-certified lead single "Everything Is Alright" adopted as their signature song. The album peaked at number two on Billboard Independent Albums chart. The singles' music videos achieved rotation on cable channel MTV2 while the band toured alongside Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. In 2014, The A.V. Club referred to the album as a pop punk classic, "full of hook-laden, keyboard-assisted songs whose bright melodies don't mask the despair and self-loathing lurking beneath them."
Background
Motion City Soundtrack was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vocalist Justin Pierre and guitarist Joshua Cain were friends who had come up playing in several local bands. Influenced by the synth-heavy rock of bands like the Rentals and Superchunk, the duo formed Motion City Soundtrack in 1997. It went through several lineup changes, with the band gaining permanent members Tony Thaxton (drums), Jesse Johnson (keys) and Matthew Taylor (bass) in 2001. The quintet recorded and self-released their debut album, I Am the Movie, in 2002, selling copies out of the back of their tour van for a year. The next year, it was picked up for larger distribution through California-based independent label Epitaph, best known as the home of punk rockers the Offspring and Bad Religion. The group were part of an abundance of Epitaph signings, including Matchbook Romance and From First to Last, amid concerns the label had strayed too far from its roots, or "a little too emo." The band toured heavily in support of the LP, attracting a new fanbase; their 2004 stint on the famed Vans Warped Tour was considered a "must-see" among punk fans.
Their rise to prominence continued when the group joined Blink-182 - then one of the largest pop-punk acts worldwide - on a European arena tour. That band's bassist, Mark Hoppus, had first heard of the group from an employee at his clothing company, Atticus Clothing. He enjoyed the group so much that he raved about them in Rolling Stone magazine, and invited them to open for Blink. The six musicians became quick friends, frequently talking backstage before performances. Hoppus was developing an interest in recording music from a production standpoint, having recently acquired a large amount of gear and amplifiers. At the final show of the tour, Cain went to Hoppus' dressing room and asked him to produce their next record. Although Hoppus had never produced anything before, he was excited to be a part of the album and accepted the offer.