An Eraser and a Maze

The album marks the band's first independent release after over two decades with Epic Records.^[1]

Founding Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green died from cancer on December 31, 2022. Reflecting on Green's death and the future of the band, frontman Isaac Brock noted: "I didn't have a question as to whether I was continuing as Modest Mouse, because that's not an option for me. I've been doing Modest Mouse since I was essentially sixteen, seventeen years old. I didn't look at my and Jeremiah's relationship as Modest Mouse. That's just where we saw the most of each other. Jeremy and I had been friends since he was thirteen—not in a way where you necessarily take it for granted, but our friendship was more fluid than 'we're in a band together.' I didn't lose 'the drummer to Modest Mouse'. I lost Jeremy. I know that distinction might not land how it's supposed to, but they are different things."^[2]

Frontman Isaac Brock originally conceived of An Eraser and a Maze as material for his side project Ugly Casanova before expanding it into a full Modest Mouse album.^[1]

Regarding the recording process for An Eraser and a Maze, Brock praised the collaborative nature of the sessions, stating: "With this one, we did a lot of classic playing together until something happened that made sense. Simon or Russell would bring a part, and sometimes — like "Remember Yourself", I didn't fucking play guitar on it at all because it didn't need it. I was doing my best to show a little restraint and be like, 'No, the song's good without me fucking write [sic] a part. I'd just be writing a part to say I had one.' Instead, I acted like a fucking grown-up and was like, 'This is good without that.'"^[2]

Following Jeremiah Green's death, Brock decided to feature multiple drummers on the album, as he did not intend to "have it be like 'There's a replacement'... Damon, who stepped in for Jeremy and still is our live drummer, is on a lot of the tracks [but] I really didn't want it to feel like Jeremiah was being replaced by a person."^[2] In particular, multiple drum parts were written and recorded by former member Benjamin Weikel, who recorded Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004) with the band and briefly rejoined for the album's 20th anniversary tour in 2024. Regarding Weikel's involvement, Brock noted: "I love fucking playing with him, [but] he had a baby, and we were getting ready to go on tour, and it just didn't make sense for him."^[2] Other drummers that feature on the album include Janet Weiss, Drew Tachine, Anthony Lopez and producer Jeremy Sherrer.

The album released on June 5, 2026.^[1]

The lead single, "Look How Far...", was released in March 2026,^[3] marking the band's first new music in five years and features drummer Janet Weiss, formerly of Sleater-Kinney.^[3][4] It was followed by "Picking Dragons' Pockets" along with the announcement of the album on April 21, 2026.^[1]

In support of the album, the band announced a North American tour and festival appearances including Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.^[1]

Sydney Peterson, reviewing for Northern Transmissions, scored the album 7.2/10.^[5] Peterson praised Brock's lyrics and the album's "uplifting instrumentation and catchy refrains".^[5] Fiona Shepherd, reviewing for The List, scored the album 3/5.^[6] Shepherd wrote that the album "captures the eclecticism of their career in under 50 minutes" and singled out "Absolutely Necessary Never" as a "banger".^[6] Julia Bernicker, writing in Riff Magazine, said of the album: "the band manages to dip a toe into the muck of past, present and future without getting too bogged down in any of it."^[7]

Reviewers noted grief as a key theme across the album.^[5][8][9][6]

Credits are adapted from Tidal.^[10]