about us

Band Members

Charles Bert / James Werle / Kevin Emerson / Ethan Jones

MAPC Backstory

Math and Physics Club was mostly a basement hobby for James Werle (guitar) and Charles Bert (vocals) until the summer of 2004 when they met Kevin Emerson (drums), who had recently relocated to Seattle from Boston. By the end of the summer they were joined by Saundrah Humphrey (violin) and Ethan Jones (bass) and soon began recording a 4-song demo in James’ basement.

One demo was mailed to Matinee Recordings, a respected indie label known for classic pop releases by bands like The Lucksmiths, Pipas, The Fairways, and Harper Lee, and the band soon became its newest signing. Around the same time, another demo made its way to John Richards at influential Seattle radio station KEXP, who began spinning it on his weekday morning show. With another push from Seattle-based webzine Three Imaginary Girls, the band quickly built a devoted local fanbase before even playing their first proper live show.

The four-song EP “Weekends Away” was released on Matinee in February 2005, getting heavy radio play on hip stations like KEXP and WOXY, and picking up glowing reviews from the indiepop press:

“… these four short, simple tunes quietly announce the arrival of a great new band.” - Splendid (USA)

“…the band’s first EP is a four-track gem that manages to escape any charges of imitation by delivering very strong songs loaded with tender emotion and easygoing charm.” – Allmusic (USA)

“A classic all said and done.” - Losing Today (UK)

By springtime the band had a handful of shows under its belt, including several West Coast stops with new labelmates The Lucksmiths and an appearance at the Sasquatch Music Festival. A follow-up EP titled “Movie Ending Romance” was released in July 2005 to more excellent reviews and growing live audiences:

“The Seattle-based pop group Math and Physics Club may have only released two EPs so far in their career, but already they sound determined to write and record songs that people will remember, songs that listeners will hold dear to their hearts.” - Erasing Clouds (USA)

“…it is, without doubt the perfect summer record.” - Friends of the Heroes (UK)

“…at a mere twelve minutes, at the end of this disc I was begging for more. Begging!” - Left Hip (Canada)

In September of 2005, the band celebrated a great first year by playing to a packed house at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival. Shortly afterward, they scaled back live appearances to allow time to work on their first full-length record. Their self-titled debut LP was released in October 2006, and featured ten previously unreleased tracks. For the first time the band did not handle the recording themselves, choosing instead to work with local producer/engineer Kevin Suggs who helped them refine their sound while retaining the charm of their earlier material. They celebrated the release of the new LP by making their first trip to the East Coast for a handful of shows in New York and the New England Popfest in Northampton, MA, then returned home to Seattle for a triumphant sold-out record release show. The new record soon began piling up more praise for the band:

Best Indiepop of 2006 – Popmatters (USA)

“Listening to Math and Physics Club’s self-titled debut album is an unrelentingly pleasant experience.” – Allmusic (USA)

“…this is a record that would’ve fit in well ten years ago and will likely sound as smooth and sweet a decade hence.” – Coke Machine Glow (USA)

“The Seattle quintet’s self-titled album should get some warm looks from a new generation of tender-hearted, bookish music listeners.” – Pitchfork (USA)

“I could go on telling you about all the songs on this album, because in one way or the other, they are all my favorites.” – Eardrums (Norway)

“The album’s filled with gems, ending appropriately with an end-of-the-night “Last Dance.” This was a quick night, but an unforgettable one, given to us by a rising star of a band, already creating timeless pop music.” – Erasing Clouds (USA)

“If you think you’ve heard your album of the year already, think again. Because this is it.” – Tasty (UK)

The band took a break during the first half of 2007 but returned in the fall with a third EP titled “Baby I’m Yours,” plus an exclusive song called “A Little Romance” for the “Matinee Hit Parade” compilation. They also teamed up with The Lucksmiths for some West Coast dates on their U.S. tour.