Good Riddance originally came to be in 1990. Formed in 1990 in Santa Cruz, CA, Good Riddance is one of the most influential bands in melodic hardcore punk. Creating music that is highly political, aggressive, and anthemic, the group inspired a generation of bands and fans alike. Aside from amazing music and energetic live show, the band is also well known for their uncompromising honesty. That has allowed them to use their music to speak out on political, social, and personal issues.
Last month, Good Riddance released their latest album, Before The World Caves In, and it’s one of their finest releases to date. It takes their customary raw emotion and turns up the anger and urgency immensely. It’s the perfect record to listen to during these trying times.
To celebrate the new album, lead singer Russ Rankin answered a few questions about the music and hockey.
It’s been almost seven years since Thoughts and Prayers. How did you know it was time to get back in the studio?
Honestly, it just came about organically. Time seems to fly by these days, and it hadn’t really seemed all that long since Thoughts And Prayers came out. Now that we’re not on a record-tour-record-tour-repeat cycle, it’s kind of just a matter of deciding we have the time to focus on new material, as we’re all pretty busy outside the band these days.
Do you find yourself approaching music and recording differently these days than you did with previous albums?
As a songwriter, being able to record fully fleshed-out demos of my songs in Logic Pro has been a revelation. I’m able to email the guys all my songs and get their approval or not without having to spend time in a practice room throwing ideas at the wall. So I just keep writing until we have a body of songs everybody likes, and THEN we can book rehearsal time and really dig into them.
I’ve been surprised that we haven’t had as much politically charged punk rock these days. Knowing you had an album coming out this year made me feel much better. Why do you think folks seem to be shying away from being overtly political with their music these days? Is it apathy?
There may be a degree of apathy from some, but honestly I think that tons of people are more aware than ever, but also more exhausted. Everything is so constant now, you’re hit with it all day, every day, and that can make it harder to process, let alone turn into something meaningful creatively. That said, there are still plenty of bands from my era who are as outspoken as ever. And what’s really encouraging is the new generation coming through who have plenty to say and aren’t holding back.
What are you hoping fans will take away from the new album after they hear it?
That they love the songs and that we didn’t let them down.
As a band that’s been around for such a long time, it’s hard to do something to make everyone happy. Is it more important to reach for fan service with new music? Or, do you just make the best album you can and hope the fans come along for the ride?
We make the best album we can and hope people come along with us. We want all of the people who’ve been listening to us for years to love it, and we also want to see if we can get some new listeners on board.
As a fan since the mid ’90s, I believe Before The World Caves In is one of the best albums. Where do you think it stacks up against your previous work?
I like that we did some things different musically, but it’s still a very “us” album, if that makes sense. We wanted a darker, angrier, more urgent body of music than maybe our more recent stuff, and I think we ended up there.
What are some of your favorite tracks on the new album? Which ones are you looking forward to playing live?
I really like “To Suffer Is The Name.” I think that turned out pretty well. I like “There’s Still Tonight.” I think it’ll be fun to play all of them.
Speaking of live, for the uninitiated, what’s a Good Riddance live show like? Any plans to tour to support the album?
We try to throw an aggressive live show, even at our ages, and we also like to fool around and have fun with an audience. We want people to be glad they came and have it be a memorable experience.
You’ve basically been with FAT since the beginning. How have things changed since the Hopeless deal went through? It feels like the label and its bands were left in good hands.
Yeah it’s been as smooth as transition I think as we could have hoped for. The new label has been incredibly welcoming to us, and it seems like a good fit so far.
Now that you’re older and wiser, are there any lessons you’d like to impart on the younger version of you?
To stop and look around and be more grateful. To not get caught up in outside noise I have no control over. Also, looking back on photos from our first US tour in 1995, I would tell younger me that nobody should ever wear shorts that big.
We’re a few days past Team USA completing an Olympic sweep with the Sled Hockey team securing gold. Does this help solidify our place in the world hockey conversation?
I think that it’s been a steady climb for USA Hockey getting out from under Canada’s shadow in international hockey. I think it obviously started with 1980, but more recently I would point to the US beating Canada in the gold medal game at the World Juniors in 2004 as the beginning.
I’m a Red Wings fan. March is officially the worst month of the year for me. Why do the Wings always seem to fall apart in March these days?
I think they’re still in their rebuild, and I also think they’ve taken big steps this season. I pay attention to the Red Wings a little bit since Michael Rasmussen plays there. He played for us in Tri City, and I always like to follow our guys when they eventually go pro.
Who do you have winning the Stanley Cup this year?
I know it’s going to be a tough road, but I think this is the year the Dallas Stars finally get it done with this group. My partner is a Stars fan, and with how the Devils season has gone, I’ve asked her to save me a seat on the Stars playoff bandwagon.
I’m going to end on a Good Riddance question. What are your biggest goals for the band in 2026 and beyond?
We’re hoping to be able to bring these new songs to as many people in as many places as we can.