Interview with Good Riddance

Good Riddance:: Münster Sputnikhalle:: 03/11/06 :: Interviewer: Chloë w. Russ Rankin

Punk76: Its good to see you again here, and its good to see you in the original formation with Sean Sellers on drums. How did it come that he’s back with you?

Russ: Him and Luke have another band together, so they stayed friends. Dave, our old drummer, had more and more difficulties to come from Philadelphia to California for just a few shows. Good Riddance was not touring a lot, which we actually do a lot. It was just better for everybody. David was working full time, had another band, Painted Black, and he wasn’t available anymore. And Sean was. I mean, we already tried out other drummers, but we figured since Sean knows most the songs, we played with him and he was available. It was simple.

Punk76: He just told me he lives in Arizona, but I guess he knows all the songs and doesn’t even need to practise a lot?

Russ: Exactly. I mean when we wrote our upcoming album we did practise.

Punk76: Speaking of, how long did it take you as a long playing band with many albums to write and record it?

Russ: I try to remember… I pretty much started writing and four months later I was kind of done. It took about four months to actually write it and then another month and a half of rehearsing to get everything together.

Punk76: I was worrying after Good Riddance being a band for such a long time, plus Sean, Luke, Chuck and you got other bands like Outlie, the Real McKenzies and Only Crime, that Good Riddance will be history...

Russ: I understand. I have to admit, Good Riddances album release is important to me, but Only Crime is definitely my priority right now! Because of everybody’s lifestyle in Good Riddance, we have jobs and school. We all know that we cant tour like we used to. But everybody is ok with that! So when we have an opportunity, we’re gonna play! We are touring Australia in September, we are going to California when the record comes out in June…

Punk76: So you guys have all jobs that matter first?

Russ: Lukes priority right now is school. Chucks priority is definitely his full time job and his family. He has a small baby, so that needs his presence. Sean has the Real McKenzies … well and Only Crime is going to produce another album.

Punk76: This year?

Russ: Yeah, we are going to record it in July and the release date will be November 2006!

Punk76: “My republic”, your new full length coming out this June, was again produced by Bill Stevenson. Is that because you work well together and does it have a huge influence on your sound?

Russ: I think it is both! Bill definitely has helped us over the past years and productions to find our sound and get better performances. And also we are pretty comfortable to be working with him by now. And that is most important for us. He is going to make the new album really sound like we want it, like we are.

Punk76: Taking a look at your first albums to your latest, can you say your personal style has been changed affecting the music maybe for this new one?

Russ: Yeah, its just like growing up, I’m seeing things differently, perspective is changing like being older… Also I’m trying to find more clever ways of expressing my ideas, like trying to grow as a songwriter and explore different melodic possibilities, but I try to still keep it in the room of Good Riddance. Its not a huge drastic change. The new record is going to sound pretty natural after the past two. And on that, there is one love song, like we had before, but others than that, its the same stuff that people expect from Good Riddance! It is melodic, but not happy. It sounds like old California punk rock.

Punk76: So basically, you would say you go back to melodies instead of being more aggressive than “Operation Phoenix”?

Russ: Its definitely less aggressive than “Operation Phoenix”, it sounds really more like the last two albums I think.

Punk76: As a writer, is there any limit or line existing that you built up, something you wouldn’t let the people know about?

Russ: I am able to write about basically anything that I want to write about. Maybe I would replace a name with a different one, or do a similar replacement in general. But there is nothing too personal for me to write about. It is true that a lot of times lyrics can be very personal. You put yourself out there. On the other side I think its cool, because that’s a way to connect with people. I met a lot of people that tell me ‘I’m very glad you wrote this song, because I didn’t know anybody else felt like that.’. And that’s one thing other bands did for me and still do, this ability to become human where before you felt like isolated, you know. I feel this way and I don’t think anybody else does and think something’s wrong with me. Then I hear a song and think ‘ok I’m ok, that guy feels exactly the same…Its just a very unique way to connect with other people on a very personal level. I of course re-read my lyrics, that I put out in this band. I don’t want to write anything too crazy.

Punk76: You also write a column for a magazine in the States..

Russ: Yes, it’s the same there. I write columns and poetry, the same I write lyrics that are somehow personal, as well as political, that are experiencal, so I take my experiences that I’ve had and where I am today, and being able to reflect on what’s going on right now, and make it in a way that rhymes and is melodically sensible. That’s kinda cool, it’s a challenge.

Punk76: Where are the differences to Only Crime?

Russ: That actually is the same with Only Crime, besides that’s not a political band at all. So I had to discover a new way of writing lyrics. I really want to separate these two bands as well as possible! Plus, it’s a good way of learning. I always want to become better. To make this record better than the last one.

Punk76: I heard you have some special features on the new record?

Russ: Yes, it is going to be an enhanced CD, so you can put it into your computer. it will have some live footage of a Good Riddance show in Santa Cruz and also a full length feature by PETA called “Meet your meat”. It costs us a little bit more money to have that on, but we figured its totally worth it. So watch for the bonus stuff on “my republic”!

Check out our reviews of Good Riddance records

Write something about Good Riddance on the board

Buy this CD at: