Motion City Soundtrack was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997 by singer-songwriter Justin Courtney Pierre and guitarist Joshua Allen Cain.

[6] According to Cain, the members of the band soon realized that there "wasn't really anywhere to play [shows] in Minneapolis", and that they would have to "tour all the time" to rise in popularity.

[12] After their first attempt at self-recording an album failed, the band culled together $6,000 to record with producer Ed Rose, best known for his work with the Get Up Kids.

[3] Motion City became part of a slew of Epitaph signings, including Matchbook Romance, Scatter the Ashes and From First to Last, amid concerns the Southern California label had strayed too far from its roots, and seemed "a little too emo.

"[18] After signing with Epitaph, they recorded three new songs with the bands Reggie and the Full Effect and Ultimate Fakebook for a triple split EP which was never released.

Epitaph afforded the quartet wider distribution[15] and a proper budget, which allowed them to re-record several songs on the album to match their original vision.

[5] The band continued to tour heavily into the next year, with US dates alongside Rufio, Mae, and Fall Out Boy,[15] plus Simple Plan and MxPx.

[14] Commit This to Memory, which was leaked to file sharing websites months before its official debut,[7] saw release on June 7, 2005, peaking at number two on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.

[17] The band's follow-up, Even If It Kills Me (2007), was recorded in New York City with Eli Janney, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, and Ric Ocasek of the Cars.

"[34] The following year saw a rise in profile for the band: they worked out promotional deals with Coca-Cola and Pepsi, their music was licensed in various television shows, movies, and video games, and they toured heavily.

"[38] With the new signing, the band's promotional team aimed to develop a balance between the benefits of a new major label and their previous grass-roots approach.

[27] The band picked the title My Dinosaur Life after a quote Pierre kept repeating—they felt it a nice representation of the album's themes, which include growing old and feeling out of place.

[38] My Dinosaur Life was released to acclaim from music critics upon its debut on January 19, 2010,[42] and it represented the band's all-time best chart performance, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard 200.

In the first three months following the album's release, the band continued to tour heavily: they traveled to Australia for the national Soundwave festival, as well as to Japan and the UK.

[38] The band also began to receive radio airplay for the first time in their career,[43] and they released a music video for the single "Her Words Destroyed My Planet".

[26][32] "True Romance" was the album's lead single, and featured a one-shot music video reminiscent of the works of Spike Jonze.

[56] Drummer Tony Thaxton departed the group in March 2013 following battles with depression, due in part to their ceaseless touring schedule.

[57] The band enlisted longtime friend Claudio Rivera of Saves the Day as their new drummer,[58] and released a one-off single with him, "Inside Out", in celebration.

[62] The group recorded their sixth album, Panic Stations, over two weeks at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota in June 2014.

In the interim, the group embarked on a tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of Commit This to Memory between January and February 2015, playing the album in its entirety.

"[71] The band embarked on the So Long, Farewell Tour across North America between May and September 2016 with original drummer Tony Thaxton returning.

Pierre continued to record music and tour as a solo act, issuing his debut effort In the Drink in 2018, which Cain assisted him in producing.

The first, a cover of Fountains of Wayne's "A Dip in the Ocean", debuted on Saving for a Custom Van, a tribute compilation celebrating the life of musician Adam Schlesinger.

[80] Midway through the year, the quartet issued a previously unreleased track, "Crooked Ways"; it was recorded a decade prior and submitted for consideration for inclusion in the Twilight film saga.

[19][34][92][93] Pierre also takes inspiration from Poster Children, the Carpenters, the Cardigans,[19] Pavement,[34] Tom Waits, the Flaming Lips, and Sunny Day Real Estate,[94] while Taylor cites That Dog, Swervedriver, Radiohead, the Rentals, and Burning Airlines as additional influences.

He subsequently bought a cheap Moog at a pawn shop and wanted it to be an integral part of Motion City upon their formation.

"[99] For the record, he intended to simplify his lyrics to enhance storytelling and he drew inspiration from Tom Waits, Ben Folds, and John K. Samson's writing styles.

[101] Their next album, Even If It Kills Me, was Pierre's first "written completely sober, after battling drugs and alcohol for years;"[102] consequently, the record is more optimistic and less self-loathing.

[48] The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[107] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.

[109] On October 31, 2017, the band's hit single, "Everything Is Alright" received an official gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America.