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 :: INTERVIEW :: THE OFFSPRING
Posted byBomber on Wednesday, February 20 @ 15:00:52 CST
Contributed by Bomber
Dexter Holland, frontman and brains behind The Offspring outfit has been there and done it all at this point. It's been a while between drinks in Australia, and with a new album on the way, The Offspring are kicking off 2008 by headlining the Soundwave Festival. He takes time out of his day to chat to Dexter Ramone before the long plane ride out to Australia. Read More to check out the chat.
The
Offspring have managed to craft a career spanning three decades. No
mean feat for a punk band in the digital media world we live in today
that only the cream of the crop stick around.
Whilst punk purists will insist that their last few albums have found
their way into the hearts of mainstream music lovers instead of where
they should have, it is hard to listen to any of their records and not
admit that they know how to craft a record to almost perfection. Whilst
if you ask the average person about the Offspring they'll comment on
singles such as 'Pretty fly for a white guy,' 'Want you bad,' and
'Can't repeat' there is still a large amount of their work that has
shaped the punk genre of today. Whether it be their earlier albums
which elevated their status alongside some of the greats of the early
nineties, or the apparent lesser songs on their newer mainstream albums
that still bring so much to the table.
"I can't
wait to get out there. Australia has always been good to us and the
crowds are always fun to play in front of. We're just in the studio
today getting some tracks down for the new record. Its a lot louder
than the last couple. Which isn't to say we are going to be making
another smash, or another Ixxnay. I think all our albums are relevant
to punk when they were created, and this one will be no different. Just
a different form to what we have already done, and what is out there
now. I never saw the point of creating two albums that are similar. Its
been done, move on and bring someting new out of yourself. Its also a
case of challenging yourself to do new things or it just doesn't feel
right. We try to keep the essence and identity of offspring and then
mix the rest up to create a new sound."
While
Holland is no stranger to Australian festivals with several Big Day Out
bills under his belt, Soundwave brings their first Australian festival
headlining slot.
"Its an honour thats for sure, I guess it validates
our music and its relevance for current fans which is reassuring. We've
toured with Incubus before and that was a good show, so it'll be good
to hook up with those guys again. I'm also really looking forward to
seeing Killswitch Engage, I've never had the chance to catch them and I
really dig it."
With
so many albums, so many different types of fans, picking a setlist is
always going to be hard, especially at a festival where crowds are
varied and fickle. "I think we'll try a blend, but as much as I'd like
to bust out some stuff from the selftitled debut or Ignition which
followed it, the majority of the fans that will be there weren't even
born, and subsequently won't have known it existed in most cases. Its a
catch 22."
"In
any case, its going to be great to get out there. With no sideshows
booked we've got plenty of time to relax and surf a lot. I want to
catch some waves in each state we're visiting if its possible."
Many
artists of Hollands calibre find themselves in several bands keeping
different projects happy at once. After so long with the offspring
Dexter is still a one band man. "I want to stay with this band as long
it is fun to do so. I don't need a side project or anything else, this
satisifies my needs completely as the guys are happy to record any
ideas we come up with, so any side project is useless."
Australian
audiences may already be salivating at the thought of moshing to 'Come
out and play' and bellowing out 'Gone Away' and they have another
reason to heighten interest with new drummer Pete.... in action for the
first time with The Offspring. "Pete joined the band six months ago. He
is a really solid drummer, definitely our most hard hitting drummer
that we've had so far which I think will improve the atmosphere of the
live shows even further."
Catch THE OFFSPRING headlining all SOUNDWAVE events.
Saturday 23rd February - Riverstage & Parklands, Brisbane [AA]
[SOLD
OUT]
Sunday 24th February - Sydney Park, Sydney [AA] [SOLD
OUT]
Friday 29th February - Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne [AA]
Saturday 1st March - Bonython Park, Adelaide [AA]
Monday 3rd March - Bassendean Oval, Perth [AA]
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