Mouse Rat, Chris Pratt’s fictional band from Parks & Recreation, are releasing an actual album

Mouse Rat
(Image credit: Dualtone / Entertainment 720)

Mouse Rat, the fictional Parks & Recreation band fronted by Andy Dwyer (aka Chris Pratt), have announced an actual, real-life album, entitled The Awesome Album.

Timed to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the group’s performance at the funeral of Pawnee, Indiana town mascot, L’il Sebastian, the band have released 5,000 Candles In the Wind, along with a moving accompanying video, which you can watch below.

In the sitcom, which ran from 2009 to 2020, Dwyer was rarely seen without an acoustic guitar in hand and became something of a local legend – the album’s press release lists a ream of acts with which he was associated, including Malice in Chains, Possum Pendulum, Punch Face Champions, Two Doors Down and Scarecrow Boat.

The record is due out on August 27 via Dualtone in collaboration with Entertainment 720, the company founded by Pawnee entrepreneur Tom Haverford (played by Aziz Ansari). It’s available to preorder now.

Alongside 5,000 Candles In the Wind, the album features Parks & Rec favorites The Pit, Sex Hair and Catch Your Dream (which boasts a guest appearance from elusive saxophonist Duke Silver, aka Nick Offerman), as well as contributions from Pawnee trailblazers Land Ho!, fronted by Scott Tanner (aka Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy).

The full tracklisting is below:

  1.  5,000 Candles in the Wind (Bye, Bye Lil Sebastian)
  2. The Pit
  3. Sex Hair
  4. Catch Your Dream (feat. Duke Silver)
  5. Two Birds Holding Hands
  6. Ann Song
  7. The Way You Look Tonight
  8. Menace Ball
  9. Remember
  10. I Get A Kick Out Of You
  11. Lovely Tonight
  12. I’ve Got You Under My Skin 
  13. I Only Have Eyes For You
  14. Pickled Ginger (*performed by Land Ho!)
  15. Cold Water (*Scott Tanner feat. Duke Silver)

Mouse Rat

(Image credit: Dualtone / Entertainment 720)
Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.