As I was getting ready to check out the new track from The Offspring, I received an ad for t-shirts on my phone. One had “I survived 2020,” and the other, “Rona Survivor.” About a year ago, that wouldn’t have made any sense. But in March 2021, it makes all the sense in the world, and serves as a backdrop for this story on The Offspring’s tenth studio album, “Let the Bad Times Roll.”
The Offspring is best known for hits like “Gone Away,” “Want You Bad,” “All I Want,” “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” “Bad Habit,” “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid,” and “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).” The Offspring has established themselves as one of the premier bands to come out of OC and are recognized worldwide, so they have a high bar for putting out solid music.
It was just over a year ago when I chatted with Noodles and he said they were working on a new album, and they were very excited about it.
He said the album was taking shape, they didn’t have a release date yet, but I could tell he was pumped for it.
PHOTO BY JOHN GILHOOLEY
Several months later, I chatted with Dexter on a promotional story about his other business, “Gringo Bandito Hot Sauce.” By then, COVID had taken root and the world of music was going sideways.
GRINGO BANDITO
The WORLD of NOODLES
“We have a record worth of stuff, we’re getting back to basics, it’s a new world and we’re getting creative.If you have three cords and something to say, start a band!
2018 on TNN RADIO
PHOTO BY GREEN-EYED BLONDE PHOTOGRAPHY | TNN RADIO
KEVIN WASSERMAN AKA “NOODLES”
For those who don’t know, Dexter Holland holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, so he had an educated insight into how the virus was impacting us. Coincidentally, around that time, I also spoke with Warped Tour Grand Poohbah, Kevin Lyman. It was almost as if the two of them had called each other to exchange notes, and their opinions and ominous predictions turned out to be 100% spot on.
After the new album heads up from Noodles, I asked Dexter how the album was coming along. Like Noodles, he was almost giddy with just the mention of it. He said they were still working on it, and they were having fun with this one, working from their studio in Huntington Beach. Of course, no album title was available at that time, or release date, just that it was in the works and they couldn’t be happier with what they had in the can at that time.
Push forward to 2021 and their efforts have come full circle. In a recent interview with Matt Pinfield on “New and Improved | KLOS,” Dexter and Noodles gave us an update. Dexter said, “It’s not a stretch where the title ‘Let The Bad Times Roll’ came from. We’ve all been going through this crazy and tumultuous time with political and personal unrest. On one hand, it has a very serious message that these are tough times, and on the other hand it also says we have to roll with the punches.”
It should come as no surprise that the new album shares in many of the overtones related to what we have all been going through the past year. Noodles added, “We’ve been commiserating with all the horrible stuff were going through, but we all going to get through this.”
I have interviewed a lot of rock stars over my lifetime, and I can honestly tell you these two are as genuine and sincere as it gets when it comes to helping wherever help is needed. In fact, Dexter is a licensed pilot and being the person he is, he donates his time to causes like Angels Flight West. The organization is based out of Santa Monica and helps others by providing transportation services to get people, medicines, and other life-saving services to where they need to be. Dexter has been helping out with that and advocates for the cause.
FOR MORE INFO ON ANGELS FLIGHT
ANGELS FLIGHT
It’s hopeful we’ll see the band live sometime in 2021, but like with everyone else, that’s a moving target. The band will be ready once it’s safe to do so. As for the album, it will be released April 16th. Their single “Let The Bad Times Roll” is out now and getting lots of positive feedback from the masses, plus getting much deserved airplay on radio stations from coast-to-coast and around the world.
Luckily for us we’ve put out those highlights, and got out of Clothestime, now it’s time for good music from good people. That’s what we need, that’s what we want, and The Offspring is giving the people what they want. Pick this one up, it was worth the wait.
