Interview by Greg Pratt
Long-running Cali political punks Good Riddance are back after a hiatus with Peace in Our Time, a great album that easily stands as one of the band’s best works. But when we recently got vocalist Russ Rankin on the phone to chat, it was to look back at the band’s debut, For God and Country. The album, released on Fat Wreck Chords in 1994, stands the test of time excellently, the melodic skate-punk sounds filled with tons of youthful energy, and Rankin’s vocals and lyrics as sharp as ever… even if he had no idea what “flat” or “sharp” meant when the band was recording the album.
What do you recall about going into the studio to record the band’s debut album, For God and Country?
Everything happened really quickly. We were sending demos to every label we could think of, and we got a handwritten letter back from [Fat] Mike [of Fat Wreck Chords], who liked what we were doing and wanted to stay in touch. Then we sent another demo with newer songs that he liked even more. Mike said he wanted to do a 7″, so we were super excited. We went in to do a 7″, and while we were recording that we demoed some even newer material and when he heard that he wanted to do a whole album. That was a surprise for us. He had told us, “I like you guys, I want do a 7″, and I want you guys,” his words were, “I want you guys to stew and write some better songs.” We demoed these songs he hadn’t heard, and I guess they were good enough and he said he wanted to do a full-length, so that was awesome.
What was it like recording the album?
We, obviously, had never recorded an album with that kind of budget and attention, so we were as prepared as we could be. We learned a lot. For me, that album is kind of bittersweet. It’s awesome, and a lot of people love it, but eight albums later, I listen to it and think, “Oh man, I wish we would have done this and this…” but it happened and it was like drinking from the fire hose, man. I didn’t know what “flat” or “sharp” meant, I just yelled and tried to sound like bands I listened to, and suddenly there’s a guy going “that’s flat,” “that’s sharp,” and I don’t even know what that means. It was definitely a wakeup call to my shortcomings. I think for all of us it was trial by fire.
What was Mike’s involvement?
Mike was there the whole time, just to guide us through. The formula for the Fat bands seemed to be that Mike was real hands on for the first record, to maintain the quality control, and after that he was more and more hands off, as each band developed on their own. I thought that was really cool. We learned a ton from him and [producer] Ryan Greene, things that we still recall today when we’re recording, and I think that’s invaluable.
So how does the album hold up for you when you put it on now? Do you enjoy listening to it?
No, not really. I think the songs are, overall, strong for a band’s first album. I think the material, the intent, and I especially think I did okay with the lyrics, but sonically… I think the drums sound great. That’s probably my favourite part of that record. Our old drummer, Rich McDermott, he nailed it; he probably performed best out of all of us and his drums sound really good still to this day on that album.
I agree, I was listening to it this morning on headphones and was marvelling at how cool the drums sound, still.
Yeah, Ryan Greene had a really good way with drum sounds. Unlike our second album, where we thought we knew what we were doing and ruined everything with the drums, the drums on For God and Country, to this day, sound really solid.
Do the sentiments in the lyrics hold up over time?
That’s one of the unfortunate things, and it was really acute when we decided a couple of years ago that we should start playing shows again. I hadn’t really listened to Good Riddance or thought about Good Riddance for five years, so revisiting those songs and realizing that the lyrics were as apropos today as they were 20 years ago was kind of depressing. As an American and as a guy who generally tried to be glass half full, it was sort of a bum-out. So I guess, in that way, yeah, the lyrics do hold up, but I kinda wish they didn’t, you know what I mean?
Good Riddance now, not then (photo: Alan Snodgrass)
You’ve got a new album out, how do you think the two compare?
[Silence] I don’t know. That’s a good question. Our ability to know what we’re doing in the studio is so much broader now than it was. I’ve developed into a guy who can beat myself into a serviceable singer; by the third song in on For God and Country, I was so terrified. I just thought, “I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know why I’m here, these guys are saying things to me that I don’t understand.” I just wanted to go hide under a rock. Now, I know what I’m capable of and what I want it to sound like and I’m not afraid to try as many different things as we need to to get there. I think recording with [Peace In our Time producer] Bill Stevenson is great, too, because he has the sonic studio acumen and know-how that Ryan Greene has, but he also this really deeply rooted punk ethic as far as what things ought to sound like and referencing bands that we know, and he knows all of us personally well enough to know what to do to get us to perform at our best. Sonically, this new record is much better than For God and Country. It would be bad news if it wasn’t after this many years. I think that structurally, as far what we’re trying to say, as far as using music as a medium to carry some sort of relevant social or political message, I’d say the two records are on par. But sonically and from a craftmanship and songwriting, producing and execution standpoint, obviously I think the new one’s quite a bit better.
In the song “Wrong Again” on For God and Country you roll your tongue when you say the word “parade.” I always wanted to ask you why you did that.
Because I listened to way too much Sex Pistols. When I first got into punk, I went into this really heavy Sex Pistols phase for six or eight months, where I just couldn’t get enough of it, listened to it all the time, thought it was awesome. So that’s what that is.
Good Riddance’s For God and Country was released in 1994 on Fat Wreck Chords.
Good Riddance’s Peace in Our Time is available now on Fat Wreck Chords.
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