In the 1990s, The Offspring stormed the charts with hit songs like "Self Esteem" and "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", becoming a familiar sight on MTV and other music video channels at the time.
They recently played a few concerts to mark the 30th anniversary of their cult album "Smash". But dismissing The Offspring as just a 90s band doesn't do them justice.
This Californian band has been making music since the 1980s. Their standing within the industry is demonstrated by Queen guitarist Brian May and self-proclaimed Offspring fan Ed Sheeran recently appearing as guests at their concerts.
The punk rockers are now releasing their eleventh album, "Supercharged", which was recorded under the support of legendary Canadian producer Bob Rock (Bon Jovi, Metallica).
"Once we had the whole record done, we realised ... there's a lot of energy happening in this record," lead guitarist Noodles told dpa. "That's why we came up with the title 'Supercharged'."
Noodles, whose real name is Kevin Wasserman, is 61, while frontman Dexter Holland is 58. If it sounds like a younger band is working on the eleventh Offspring album, that's not entirely wrong, as Noodles and Holland are the last of the original line-up.
Drummer Brandon Pertzborn, who joined the band in 2023, was born in October 1994, six months after the Offspring cult album "Smash" came out. Jonah Nimoy, who initially only started touring with the band but joined full time in 2003, is 32 years old. Incidentally, Nimoy is the grandson of "Star Trek" legend Leonard Nimoy, who played the character of Spock.
"I think those guys add a lot of energy, for sure, to what we're doing," Noodles explains. "The cool thing is, Jona ... when he was a little kid, his dad made him get 'Smash', and he loved it. Brandon heard Hammerhead (an Offspring song from 2008) on the radio ... It was one of the songs that inspired him to play drums. And now ... he plays stuff all the way back to 'Smash'."
Thanks to cult albums like "Smash", "Ixnay On The Hombre", "Americana" or "Conspiracy Of One", The Offspring still fill concert venues to this day. That's why they don't live in the past. "We don't want people to say: 'they keep doing the same thing over and over again'," the guitarist says. "I think there's plenty of stuff on this record that doesn't sound like anything we've done before."
The song "Come To Brazil" is one example, a humorous reference to the comments Brazilian fans make on social media when bands or artists go on tour. The song is a rock anthem that culminates in the traditional "Olé olé olé".
"It's ... musically a little bit of a different feel to it." Of course, the song will be a must for future concerts in Brazil. "That's a tough one to play," jokes the musician, whose trademark is his eye-catching glasses. "I was rehearsing it yesterday here in my room."
When writing songs, the band is inspired by a variety of things, including more serious matters. "We definitely take a look at what's happening around in the world."
The song "Truth And Fiction" is about AI, deepfakes and conspiracy theories. "People are making their own reality. They're living on the internet and living in whatever reality they want to. And the facts and the truth don't often matter to people as much as they used to."
40 years after Noodles and Dexter Holland decided to form a band together, there are no signs of them slowing down on "Supercharged". "I don't feel old," Noodles confirms, who has hardly changed in terms of appearance either. "We go out and we play for a living. So I think that's going to keep you young. We haven't had to wear suits to work and try to act serious and respectable."
The Offspring haven't planned any celebrations to mark the band's 40th anniversary. Or have they? "Yes," Noodles says with a smile. "I'll have another drink later."
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