It is no wonder that so many punk rock frontmen were able to make a successful transition to solo acoustic acts. Beneath the genre’s aggression lies melodies as strong as any out there. One of the most unique voices to emerge from the famed 90’s California punk rock scene with Good Riddance, Russ Rankin is a prime example of how seemless the transition may be. His sense of melody, paired with the honesty and urgency of his delivery, makes it a natural fit for a stripped down acoustic approach. On the lyrical front, Rankin has always effectively alternated between heartfelt and thought-provoking topics, which again, work perfectly in an acoustic/folk setting. It is hard to overstate the sense of social consciousness that he’s helped fuel in generations of GR fans, over 9 LPs and countless EPs. Babel, the first single from his upcoming solo album, coming 9 years after his debut, Farewell Catalonia, fits in logical sequence. Speaking to the rancor and mistrust that’s been plaguing humankind for centuries, the song is bleak but still evokes hope and a will to overcome.
Russ Rankin’s new solo album, Come Together Fall Apart, comes out January 28th, 2022, on SBÄM Records (EU), Cursed Blessings Records (CAN) and Say-10 Records (USA)
What have you been listening to the most lately?
Most of the stuff I listen to is still punk and hardcore from the late 70’s and early 80’s. So lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of GENERATION X. A lot of ARTICLES OF FAITH, out of Chicago, one of my all time favorite bands. I’ve also been listening to a lot of CLASH.
What period do you enjoy most for the Clash?
I didn’t care for a lot of the later stuff for a long time, I just liked the first album. Lately, I’ve been warming up to a lot of the songs of London Calling, and even later than that. A lot of the stuff that Mick Jones sang. I’ve been enjoying getting into that a little bit. Whereas for a long time, I mostly liked the early, faster, more urgent punk stuff.
Is that a trend for you with bands in general, where your attention eventually move away from the stuff that initially caught your attention back then, to now discover the later records?
I think so. That happens a lot with mainstream music too. When I was going to high school in the mid 1980’s, I couldn’t stand bands like DEPECHE MODE, and The CURE and The SMITHS, and now I listen to Sirius XM a lot and I have a new appreciation for a lot of this music that I just missed when I was younger. Maybe the music is kind of nostalgic for me, and that’s why I like it now but I also think I’m coming to it with a more open mind probably, as I get older. When that music was out, I was just getting into punk rock and that’s all I would listen to, I thought everything else was soft. I don’t really have such hard parameters anymore. I’m discovering that I really like artists like ELVIS COSTELLO who I sort of dismissed. Now that I have to actually be a songwriter, I’m coming to listening to music from that perspective and realizing what goes into writing songs and being able to appreciate people that I feel did it really well. Like Elvis Costello and Chrissie Hynde from The PRETENDERS, I’m recognizing the songwriting that was going on with those two people and I’m able to appreciate it more now.
Is it something that you move back and forth from now, between listening to music from just the vibe perspective, and analyzing the structure and listening to the playing and all of that? How do you switch back and forth between those two?
I think that years of being in a band, and having to write songs and recording in the studio and also having produced a few bands, when I listen to any song, I’m automatically listening for certain elements, like, “How did they make? How do they make that chorus sound so big? What is that in the background? Is that a shaker? Is that some sort of hand percussion? How many guitar tracks?” I’m always listening to that stuff now, whereas, years and years ago, I would have just heard a song and thought, “Well, that’s just how the song goes.” I didn’t know what actually goes into it, as far as the layering and production and the decisions that are made about what gets played in what part of the song. As a producer, as a band member, as somebody who’s been in the studio a bunch of times now, I’m always listening for all of the elements. I try to figure at any given moment if I can name everything that’s being played.
Is that a curse sometimes though? Is there stuff that you enjoyed in the past that can no longer do it for you because you’ve realized that it had poor structure or whatever, the playing was bad. Where the vibe on its own doesn’t do it for you anymore.
I see what you’re saying. I think for the most part, it’s fine. There’s a couple of songs that I’ve listened to and now I’m like, “How did anybody settle on that kick drum pattern? That’s so wrong for this song. How did that get passed everybody?” That’ll happen once in a while but for the most part, I’m able to enjoy the song. Generally, on an overview, when it’s pleasing for my ears, and I like the way it’s structured, then I’m also at the same time unconsciously listening for what they used in the studio.
What would you say is the record that you’ve listened to the most in your life?
Probably the ADOLESCENTS first album. Screaming For Change, by UNIFORM CHOICE probably a close second.
Do you remember the first time that music had an impact on you? That moment when you discovered that loving music was a thing for you?
I can’t really recall. My dad was singing in choir at our local church. Then we had a piano in the house and my mom would always play and she would sing but it was never something that I really wanted to do. I think that after watching this film, D.O.A., which is a concert film from the 70’s punk music from here and in the UK, it kind of followed the SEX PISTOLS on their last US tour. Seeing the Sex Pistols live with that footage was really electrifying for me. Then listening to bands like BAD RELIGION and seeing how people were using punk music as a medium to carry a lyrical message. That’s when I first kind of got the idea that I wanted to be a singer. That was much much later though. So I didn’t really get brought up having music being a big part of what I did. It was just sort of around. The first band I really got into was KISS back in the day. I just thought Kiss was great. I loved telling people that Kiss pissed people off, because at the time, they were somewhat controversial. Listening back now, I still think there’s some pretty crafty songwriting on some of the Kiss material. It was my first exposure to really getting into a band and listening to all of their material and finding out all about them and stuff like that. I was probably in grade four or five. Punk rock came, I was probably grade 10? I kinda went down the rabbit hole and never came out.
Can you name three songs that you would consider to be perfect songs and explain why you believe these are so exceptional?
Kids Of The Black Hole, The Adolescents, I think it’s perfect. I think the way it starts out a little spare and builds. Then it’s got all this energy but I also really like the progressive structural arrangement and timing. The way that the verse turns around on an odd beat. I love the guitar melodies and then the bass player, Steve Soto, is doing these really cool kind of countermelodies on, I think the D and G string on his bass. It’s almost like there’s three songs in one and even though it’s longer for a punk song, when it’s over I feel like I just want to hear it again. It has the smell and the attitude of punk from that era. It has exceptional musicianship for the age that those guys were when they came in. The production is actually I think, really, really good on it. I think it was guys pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone because that’s not a typical punk rock song.
Then there’s a band from Seattle called THE GITS, they made a song called Second Skin, which is probably one of my top 5 favorite punk songs ever. It’s catchy, it’s got tons of attitude, the lyrics are great, the performances. I love that song. I think it’s perfectly crafted from beginning to end. It’s not too long, it’s not too short. It’s exactly perfect.
Then my last one would be a song by the OLD 97’s, the song Question. I mean, it’s pretty much everybody’s favorite Old 97’s song. It’s pretty simple but lyrically, it’s so compelling to me. It’s basically about a guy observing a guy and a girl right after he proposes to her, like somebody watching it happen. The chorus is great, it’s an emotional song. It’s also got a lot of innocence and reverence, just sort of a wonder of love and things like that. Lyrically, Rhett Miller is my absolute favorite songwriter. He’s written a ton of songs that I think are incredible but on this song, he just hits out of the park. It’s a perfect song. It’s one of those songs where when I hear it, it just makes me want to stop ever trying to write songs again. I’ll never write anything that good.
Is there any specific line that comes to mind when you mentioned him? Or it’s just the entire body of work?
There was a time where I took a girl that I was in love with to Hawaii and I was gonna propose for her there and I did, on the beach and she said yes. We went right away to a restaurant to celebrate. We had a waitress take a picture with us and the girl I was with had the ring on it, and her eyes were still glassy from crying. In that song Question that I just mentioned, there’s a line that says, “She’d had no idea, started to cry, she said in a good way.” That struck me and it sucks because this relationship didn’t work out, that person broke up with me and everything. But he really nailed that moment, the whole thing. That’s probably my favorite line of that song, but of his body of work, he has a song called Designs On You. It’s about a guy who really wants to get together with this woman, even though he knows that she’ll never be with him. Like, maybe they’re having an affair or something like that. There’s a lyric, where he says, “You can go ahead and get married. And this will be a secret thing. I won’t tell a soul except the people in the nightclub where I sing.” To me, that’s the greatest line of lyric that I’ve ever read. I’ll never write anything even close to that.
Is there any bands that you’ve always wanted to see live but never managed to catch them?
Knowing what I know now, I would have gone to see MINOR THREAT when they played out here and then BLACK FLAG in the early to mid 80’s. Looking back, I would have gone to see them and slept in an alley afterwards if I had to, whereas at the time, it was like, “Hey, there’s a show happening, want to go? Oh no, I don’t have a ride home” because I was pretty far away from the town.
Also, I never got to see The POGUES in their best era. In the early 90’s, they had just kicked Shane MacGowan out of the band and they were touring America, with Joe Strummer singing. They were playing in San Francisco and I was going to go but then, I went “No, the tickets are too expensive.” but I wish I would have gone. I mean, that should have been a no brainer because getting to see Joe Strummer, getting to see The Pogues, and then I found out later they did a lot of CLASH songs. Yeah, I wish I would have done to that.
What are some of the most memorable shows that you did get to see?
My first show at Gilman Street in Berkeley, The ADOLESCENTS headlined, that was an amazing show. I got to see BAD RELIGION play there on the Suffer tour and there was like 75 people in the club. It was so great. Then I got the chance to be on tour with bands that I love, I got to see them for free every night. Bands like SICK OF IT ALL or LIFETIME, which I remember, we played a show in Toronto with Lifetime and it was one of the most memorable shows. There was a huge incident that happened during the show with bouncers and lots of drama and people in Toronto still talk about it. But it was also like, Lifetime wasn’t really popular then, it was in 1996-97 maybe but I thought they were incredible. That night, I remember being on the side of stage, watching them play and just being blown away. Pinching myself like, “Wow, I get to watch this for free. This is pretty cool.” Yeah, basically getting a chance to see bands that I like and then getting to know them. You know, the very last stage dive that I ever did was on tour with Sick Of It All, I remember the venue and the song they were playing and everything, that’s pretty cool.
That was probably in ’96 actually that tour with Lifetime because I saw you guys in Montreal and it was one of the first bigger shows that I’d seen. It was this huge bill with TILT, TRIGGER HAPPY…seven bands or something…GOOBER PATROL…and Lifetime was just amazing but there wasn’t much of a reaction. They were playing second I think, for some reason.
Is there any other bands like that, that you’ve toured with and impressed you so much that you had to watch her set night after night?
A couple years ago, I got the chance to open up as a solo act for The DROPKICK MURPHYS. I played, then HATEBREED and then CLUTCH and then Dropkick Murphys. I didn’t know much about Clutch but then I watched them play and I was really really impressed with them. They’re really heavy and tight. I didn’t know much about their music, but I thought they had a really cool aesthetic and I was really impressed with their drummer. That was kind of cool, I was happy to be there. I got a chance to meet these new guys and check out a band that’s new to me.
We played with THE LIVING END from Australia, years and years ago, then just recently, we played with the DEAD KENNEDYS and Living End in California. I was so blown away by that guitar player, I think he’s incredible. Just watching what he did live, he was so good and precise. I’m not really big on guitar theatrics and solos and things like that, but this guy was shredding, he was so good. It was really impressive.
Back in the 80’s, they was a lot of good bands that didn’t get to record anything. Is there any that comes to mind? Perhaps a local band that you really enjoyed back then, and for some reason, they just disbanded too quickly to record anything?
There’s a band called MOCK from here that we actually toured with in ’95, up through Canada, but at that time, they had become a three-piece, with their guitar player Mike singing. They had an earlier lineup with another guitar player, so they had two guitars and they had a singer, and that’s the lineup that I’m familiar with. They played locally a lot here in Santa Cruz, but they also played down in Southern California, whenever BL’AST would play. Bl’ast was the biggest band ever from Santa Cruz and when they would go down to Southern California to play shows, they would take Mock with them. I remember Mock playing here a lot and that lineup with the two guitars and the singer, I thought they were great. Apparently they did record an album with that lineup that was supposed to be put out on a label and it never got released. A little bit of those songs show up in some skate videos but I would love to get a hold of those masters and have somebody release that. To me, it really captures Santa Cruz and I thought that there was some strong songs and they were a great band.
Is there any song from a band that you really wish they would play live but every time that you’ve seen them, you just never get to see it?
Yeah, either Torch or Get A Room by THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. They are one of my favorite bands, Richard Butler is probably my favorite singer. I’ve driven eight hours to Orange County to see them. I will see the Psychedelic Furs anytime they come in, and they never play those songs. They have a lot of albums and a lot of stuff out so I’m sure everybody’s got a song that they wish they’d played. I just keep waiting to hear those two.
As far as you know, they just never played it or you were just unlucky?
I don’t know. I’m assuming so because I’ve seen them so much and I’ve never heard them. I mean, they’re pretty good for playing deeper cuts live, things you don’t expect. but All That Money Wants, The Ghost In You, Pretty In Pink, there’s songs they have to play. But I’m never disappointed, they always play some unusual deeper cuts but those two, I’ve never heard live.
You know, for the longest time, my answer to that question would have been Good Riddance’s 21 Guns.
Yeah, I think we played it that summer that the split (note: with IGNITE) came out and then I think we played it on our live album, that was supposed to be our final show. Yeah, we don’t play that one.
I got over it over time! *Haha* The rest of the songs are good enough! *Haha*
I’m happy to hear that!
In closing, is there any up and coming bands that you’d like to recommend?
I’ve been recently getting into a band called WESTERN SETTINGS, but I don’t believe they’re new. I’m just new to them. So that’s as far as a newer, current band that I’ve been listening to a lot. I mean, I listen to LIFETIME a lot still. I listen to IRON CHIC. I listen to the MENZINGERS quite a bit. I love them, I think they’re incredible. But Western Settings, I hear a lot of Iron Chic in their songs and I love Iron Chic so maybe that’s why I’m into them. Also, a band from Spain called EBRI KNIGHTS. I was introduced to that band through this song they had in the credits of a Netflix show I watched. I was like, “Holy fuck! This music’s great!” It basically sounds like FLOGGING MOLLY and The POGUES, but in Spanish. I love the lyrics. I’ve really been listening to a lot of that band.
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