Mothxr

MOTHXR was formed in late 2013 by the producer Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf) and actor and singer Penn Badgley.^[2] They were joined by bassist Darren Will and guitarist Simon Oscroft, a New Zealand expat.^[2][3][4]

In early 2014, they released the song "Easy" on SoundCloud under the name M O T H E R; the track quickly gained popularity and was posted on numerous blogs.^[5] "Easy" reached the top ten on the music discovery blog Hype Machine and number one on Billboard's Twitter-based Emerging Artists chart.^[1][6] Months later, the band changed the spelling of their name to MOTHXR, citing a cease-and-desist from another band with a similar name.^[3][7] Badgley later described the name as "tragically hipster."^[3]

In 2015, MOTHXR signed with the labels Kitsuné and Washington Square Music, the New York City-based subdivision of the Razor & Tie label.^[8][9] In February 2016, they released their debut album, Centerfold.^[10]

MOTHXR's music has been described as "synth-heavy, '80s new wave and R&B-influenced pop".^[1] Badgley has said the band's music lies "somewhere between DIY punk production aesthetic, new wave and R&B", naming influences like LCD Soundsystem, Beastie Boys, and Arthur Russell.^[1] He has also cited D'Angelo as a favorite artist.^[11] Critics have noted influences ranging from Joy Division and Simple Minds to Hall & Oates and Michael McDonald.^[12]

• Penn Badgley – vocals, keyboards
• Darren Will – bass guitar
• Simon Oscroft – guitar
• Jimmy Giannopoulos – production, drum programming

Studio albums

• Centerfold (2016)

Singles

• "Easy" (2014)
• "Touch" (2015)
• "Victim" (2015)
• "She Can't Tell" (2015)
• "Wild Ride" (2015)
• "Stranger" (2015)
• "Underground" (2015)
• "Impossible" (2015)