A Dirty Dozen with RUSS RANKIN from GOOD RIDDANCE – February 2026

According to a recent press release: “Punk veterans Good Riddance are excited to announce their 10th studio album Before The World Caves In, set to be released on March 27th via Fat Wreck Chords. Good Riddance are one of the most respected and enduring bands in melodic hardcore punk. Formed in Santa Cruz, California in 1986, the band built their reputation on fast, aggressive songwriting and politically charged lyrics that helped define the sound and spirit of modern punk. Known for their uncompromising honesty and intensity, Good Riddance have released a series of influential albums that address themes of social justice, personal responsibility, and resistance. Their music connects deeply with audiences through a balance of urgency, melody, and raw conviction, earning them a dedicated global following. A proven force on festival stages, Good Riddance are renowned for explosive, high-energy live performances that bring together longtime fans and new listeners alike. With decades of touring experience and a catalog of anthems that remain as relevant as ever, Good Riddance continue to stand as a vital voice in punk—direct, principled, and relentless.” We get vocalist Russ Rankin to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

We’re hopeful that our musical growth is evident throughout. We’ve tried to incorporate some different structural elements as far as dynamics within the songs. We played around with different chord shapes on the guitar in order to achieve some more sonic menace and dissonance.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

KISS Alive! was the first album I bought with my own money. I pretended I was Ace Frehley with one of my parents’ tennis rackets. I was introduced to punk rock in around 1983 and it completely changed my life. Years later, I had a few friends who were starting to learn to play instruments. I told them I’d “sing” for them if they’d play all these Sex Pistols songs and that’s what led me to band life.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

For me it would have to be Bad Religion. The introduction of the rudiments of melody crossed with the aggression of the music. The lyrics were ambitious. I thought it was cool that this vibrant and chaotic music could be utilized as a delivery system for words which could be really powerful.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Billy Bragg. Because he’s one of my musical heroes and has been hugely inspiring to me.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I watch a lot of stupid TV shows. I play in a senior hockey league one night a week. I get out in the water at my favorite surf spot when there are waves there. I watch a lot of hockey games on TV, and I have season tickets to the San Jose Sharks.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I think we’re quasi-melodic hardcore. If someone came away from listening to us and told me that we reminded them of a band like Articles of Faith I would be pretty happy. I think being called “one of those FAT bands” has always been a little ick for me – not because of the label, which has been fantastic, but more the assumption that we must sound a certain way simply because we’re on that label.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I think Luke and Chuck are the residents cooks. Also the resident wine experts. I think if I pulled out an acoustic guitar my band would run away as fast as they could.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I got to meet Billy Bragg at Riot Fest one year (2014?).

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I’d love to scout for an NHL team. I’d love to be a steadily-working screenwriter.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I think I have been asked every question in the book. I want them to ask me about hockey, but they never do, and because they’re there to interview me about the band it’s easy to understand why that happens.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Too many to mention.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the Adolescents recorded their first album. So many of those early punk and hardcore albums were recorded in almost no time and so many of them still stand up today.

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Category: Interviews