Modest Mouse executed a powerful comeback in 2026. Their newest album, An Eraser And A Maze, is the band’s first release since 2021. It’s also the band’s first independent release since 1997. The album was released under Isaac Brock’s own label, Glacial Pace Recordings. Additionally, it’s the band’s first release without founding member, drummer Jeremiah Green, who passed away in 2022. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. The album’s third single, “Picking Dragons’ Pockets”, is a fiery anthem about social classes in modern society.
The opening lines of the track detail resistance against becoming a machine. This is symbolic of the rise in technology and defiance against large tech companies. It’s a declaration of one’s own self-importance, aside from their place in society.
I ain’t your passenger now
I ain’t your passenger now, nor your equipment
An auditory trick
They’re a boot that begs to be licked
I am the tarmac, I’m the pilot, I’m the flight path
Can’t get past that
Well they’ll go crazy if you don’t go crazy somehow
And I’m not crazy ’bout what they’re so crazy ’bout now
The song acts as a call to rise and act against technological domination. The message pairs well with Modest Mouse’s chaotic indie rock sound overall. Isaac Brock’s sporadic vocal approach truly drives home the point of this track.
Who Are The Dragons?
The use of “dragon” is metaphorical for the rich and hoarded wealth. Simply, picking their pockets refers to getting their money and distributing the wealth.
Pickin’ dragons’ pockets, and away we go
Breathe in poison, then you breathe out smoke
It’s clear I’m lookin’ for an antidote
Well you pay for garbage, and you’ve cast your vote
At the end, the song emphasizes a worrisome future outcome, stating “We’ve been eatin’ our own
We’ve been eatin’ our young / We’ve been eatin’ our own young.”
The full album, An Eraser And A Maze, was released on June 5, 2026. Modest Mouse is supporting the new album with a tour, which begins on July 2 in Bellingham, Washington. The tour will run throughout the US this summer and into the fall.
Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage