To say that Mike Boggs is a fan of Calvin & Hobbes would be an understatement. From a young age, the comic strip helped shape his sense of humor, his appreciation for nature, and his general worldview. So naturally, when he learned that film director Joel Schroeder was making a documentary about the strip called 'Dear Mr. Watterson', Boggs jumped at the opportunity to help provide music.

Boggs wrote an email in 2009 letting Schroeder know that he was welcome to use some We Were Pirates tracks in the documentary. Two and a half years later, when the film was nearly finished, Schroeder formally asked Boggs to provide an entirely original score for the film.

Over the course of many months in 2012, Boggs wrote and recorded 14 original, instrumental songs for the film. The songs range from upbeat and jangly to aggressive and anthemic. The album also includes three bonus tracks: an alternate version of 'A Bit of a Troublemaker' that plays during the credits. and the vocal and instrumental versions of 'Don't Forget', a previously written WWP song featured in the film.

When asked about his role scoring the film, Mike Boggs of We Were Pirates, said: “Working on this project was an amazing experience. Being able to draw inspiration from that sense when you’re a kid that anything is possible changed the whole approach to songwriting for me. It was a challenge for sure…but an incredibly fun challenge. Really, being able to create this score has been an honor on a lot of different levels for me.” 

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Don't Forget (Instrumental Version)

We Were Pirates is the musical brainchild of Mike Boggs, a multi-instrumentalist who writes and records songs in his home studio in the DC area. Boggs has released three albums, an EP, and a film score for ‘Dear Mr. Watterson.’

Boggs’ 2009 debut album, Cutting Ties, features a version of ‘The Three of Us,’ a cover song that Boggs recorded which was featured on the public radio show, This American Life. Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune rock critic and co-host of Sound Opinions described the cover as, “Pure pop.” And said, “This should be the next Fountains of Wayne single; genius.”

Wired magazine featured We Were Pirates following the release of the second album, Change. The feature said, “You heard this band’s public radio-friendly pop on This American Life...So don’t miss ‘Better Off Without You’ from the new album. Catchy synths will have your crew dancing a jig.”

In 2013, Boggs wrote and recorded an original film score for ‘Dear Mr. Watterson.’ The film is a documentary about the impact of the comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes. This American Life featured We Were Pirates again, when they played ‘A Strange Experience’ from the film score on Episode 512. We Were Pirates performed songs from ‘Dear Mr. Watterson’ live at screenings of the film.

On 2016’s Matter, Boggs explores a mellow, electronic aesthetic. Following the release, NPR’s Morning Edition interviewed Boggs and We Were Pirates bassist, Kate Rears Burgman. The band also played a string of live shows, including one at The Kennedy Center in DC.

We Were Pirates is starting out 2019 by releasing a new EP that finds Boggs returning to a more organic sound. Gone features five new songs about the pursuit of love, pain, and peace of mind. TW Walsh (Pedro the Lion) mastered the album.

We Were Pirates live shows feature Burgman on bass, Pat Frank on drums, and Scott Greenberg playing guitar.