Orange County natives, The Offspring, sprang into popularity with ‘Smash’ and haven't looked back since. With the release of their upcoming tenth studio album, 'Supercharged,' Dexter Holland shares how energetic and fresh this album is, discusses performing with Ed Sheeran and Brian May, explains the origins of 'Smash' and "Make It All Right," and more!
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00We've had people come up to us and say,
00:01you guys saved my life, and I kind of go, ah, whatever.
00:04But if people said, no, no, actually, I was in a bad place,
00:07and this really helped me through it.
00:09And while I feel like, I don't know that I can necessarily
00:11take that on.
00:12You're being very nice.
00:13Thank you very much.
00:14But I think to them, it really does mean something.
00:17And it's hard for you to take it when you know that you're
00:20the one that wrote the song.
00:21But to somebody else, and the meaning that it gives them,
00:24that maybe you're not aware of, it's something.
00:27It's very humbling, but it's very, very powerful.
00:29Hi, this is Dexter from The Offspring,
00:31and you're watching Billboard News.
00:36Hi, everybody.
00:36It's Rania Niftos with Billboard News.
00:38And I'm so excited we have Dexter from The Offspring
00:41in the studio today.
00:42Hello.
00:43Hi, hello.
00:44And we've got to talk about the album, Supercharged,
00:47something that you described as pure energy.
00:50Tell me a bit about that inspiration
00:52and getting the energy.
00:53That's right, that's right.
00:54You know, we've done, what, 10 albums or something.
00:56So it's like, what can you offer when you're doing this, right?
00:59You want to do something that you haven't done before,
01:01but you don't want to go so far out there
01:03that it feels strange to people who like the band.
01:06And it just felt like going kind of a little bit more direct
01:09was the right way to approach this record.
01:11I just wanted something that was energetic and really upbeat
01:14and just slamming in your face, kind of.
01:16I feel like you guys do a good job, too.
01:18I mean, being a band all these years,
01:20keeping it fun and keeping it fresh,
01:22because, I mean, it's your job.
01:23And you still, you want to separate
01:26the job from the creative, and you still
01:27want to keep it fun and fresh.
01:28So I feel like you guys do a good job at that.
01:30It's got to be fun, right?
01:31But that's the thing, is we really,
01:33really enjoy what we do still, you know?
01:35That's important.
01:36I love going out and playing the shows,
01:38because there's kind of an immediacy to that,
01:40where you get the reaction from the crowd,
01:42and they're singing along.
01:44And like, it's hard to explain to people,
01:45like, there's nothing like that feeling
01:47when you've written a song and people
01:48are singing your words, right?
01:49Yeah.
01:50The first time I experienced it in person,
01:52gosh, that was like in Italy.
01:53And it just blew me away.
01:54And the first time, you know, you hear yourself on the radio,
01:57that blows you away.
01:58You still get that feeling, that kind of adrenaline kick
02:01or that buzz when we play live.
02:02And you don't want to feel like you're
02:04just playing the same songs night
02:05after night for the rest of your life or whatever.
02:07So going into the studio is the other side of it
02:09that I think is equally as important.
02:11Like, we're a band.
02:13You know, what we want to do is write music and stuff.
02:15So having that part is a big deal for us.
02:19And so that's why we keep on making out albums.
02:21On the album as well, I want to talk about Make It All Right.
02:23Make It All Right.
02:30And I feel like I love the message of the album.
02:32I feel like it's a really cool thing for something
02:35like you guys, because so many people look up to you
02:37to hear a message like that in that song.
02:38Tell me a bit about the songwriting process there.
02:41It's not always like you have this idea,
02:43like, this is what the song's going to be about.
02:46It kind of evolves as it goes along.
02:48What does the song sound like?
02:49What should it be about or whatever?
02:51I like the idea of talking about a relationship
02:53with whether it's your girlfriend or your,
02:56let's say, your kids or whatever.
02:58But that it's kind of like they're feisty, you know?
03:00And I like that.
03:01But you can tell they care.
03:03And they really do make you feel better in a way.
03:04It's kind of like, as the guy in the song does,
03:07he's kind of complaining.
03:08But she's kind of like punching him in the arm,
03:09going, you're all right.
03:10Suck it up.
03:11You know, that sort of thing.
03:12Like how the guy in the song realizes that you're
03:14there to make it all right.
03:15I thought that was just kind of a nice sentiment.
03:17Our songs often deal with struggle and stuff like that.
03:21Sometimes it's OK just to have a song
03:22that's like, it's all right.
03:23Yeah.
03:24And we need that punch in the face every once in a while.
03:27For sure, right?
03:27That it's like, let's take a step back, you know?
03:29Like, things are pretty cool, especially
03:30if you're at a show, an Offspring show,
03:32listening to it live.
03:33I mean, things are pretty good right now.
03:35Yeah, and when I heard the music to it,
03:36and what made me feel like it almost felt like,
03:38this feels like the Beach Boys meets punk rock in a way,
03:40right?
03:41I thought that was kind of cool.
03:42I mean, of course, we're from California.
03:43They're always associated with California.
03:45And I thought that was kind of a cool connection to me.
03:48Yeah, and I feel like it's also kind
03:49of indicative of kind of where you
03:51were recording this album, right?
03:52You kind of recorded it everywhere.
03:54Maui, Vancouver, Huntington Beach.
03:56Yeah.
03:57I like that it ends up kind of feeling
03:59the flavors of the different places in the album.
04:02West Coast, for sure, right?
04:03For different reasons.
04:04We live in Huntington Beach.
04:05So we have a studio there.
04:06And we do a lot of work there.
04:08But we also did a lot of work in Maui, where our producer was.
04:11It's so cool.
04:12Yeah, I know.
04:13There's worse places to work, right?
04:15I would say that.
04:16I love that.
04:17I love that.
04:17And of course, I mean, speaking again
04:19of kind of live shows and openness and creativity,
04:22I like that you guys, even though you
04:24do have your sound the way you're saying,
04:26you're not stuck to any idea.
04:28You're not precious about it.
04:30I mean, you performed with Ed Sheeran at Bottle Rock.
04:32I can take a million miles away.
04:38Open, and in a lot of ways, so accepting of so many genres.
04:41What made you that way, I guess?
04:42Yeah.
04:43It's surprising in a good way.
04:45That was always important to us when we started.
04:47We grew up listening to punk rock.
04:49I mean, that was what really changed our lives
04:52when the Ramones came out and the Sex Pistols and all that.
04:54And I always loved that energy.
04:57But I didn't want to feel like we
04:58were just stuck in that genre.
05:00I wanted to be able to do things here and there
05:02that were a little bit outside that.
05:03So even on our first records, we had
05:05songs that weren't typical, what I would call punk or whatever.
05:07By the time Smash came out, some of those songs,
05:09some of those more mid-tempo songs
05:10that come out and play ended up being the singles and stuff.
05:13We've always kind of experimented with that,
05:15what I would call expanding the circle
05:17or opening the aperture a little bit
05:19of what these songs could be.
05:20So you couldn't be pigeonholed, right?
05:22I didn't want to be a punk band.
05:23I wanted to be known as the offspring, right?
05:25Yeah.
05:26Yeah.
05:26And I mean, because that's not fun for anybody.
05:28And I mean, and then you do have people
05:30like Ed Sheeran, who is a pop artist who loves your music.
05:34That was one of the most.
05:35And wants to perform with you.
05:36I know.
05:36I know.
05:37That was one of the most shocking things.
05:38It was actually Noodles, our guitar player,
05:39who had heard that he was a fan.
05:41And we happened to be playing at Bottle Rock
05:43together about a month ago or a couple months ago.
05:45And so we actually reached out to him and said, hey,
05:47would you want to join us on stage?
05:49And he wrote right back, said, sure, I'll do it.
05:51Crazy.
05:52You know, kind of surreal.
05:53And you know, I think he's great.
05:54He was never someone that I would
05:56expect would be a fan, much less even know who we were, right?
05:59So it was really cool getting to meet him.
06:01And then we came in the trailer because we
06:03were going to just run through the song backstage
06:05really quick.
06:05Like, there was no rehearsal or whatever, you know?
06:08And so he was there.
06:09And we go, OK.
06:10And we heard rumors about this offspring tattoo.
06:12Is that for real?
06:13Thinking there's no way.
06:14Does he have one?
06:15He goes, oh, yeah.
06:16Let me show you.
06:17He pulled up his shirt.
06:18And he's got this giant offspring skull.
06:20What?
06:20I know.
06:21And we're like, yeah.
06:22I didn't know that.
06:24You would never think, right?
06:25Oh, my god.
06:25You would never think.
06:26I love that.
06:27Worlds colliding.
06:28I know.
06:28His story was he was like a young teenager.
06:30And one of his first records was our record.
06:33I love that.
06:33And that he learned all the songs and loved us from then.
06:37And we were just kind of an influence, I guess.
06:39Yeah.
06:39He's into a lot of crazy stuff.
06:41He's talked about some super hardcore, gnarly bands
06:43that you would never think would be part of this thing.
06:45But just such a lovely guy.
06:47Besides Ed Sheeran, you have plenty
06:49of incredibly famous fans.
06:51I mean, Brian May came out and singing a Queen
06:54song with Brian May.
06:55I know.
06:55Talk about, you know, legend of all legends, right?
06:58I mean, just incredible.
06:59He has this festival that kind of focuses
07:02on astronomy and music.
07:04It sounds like it's right up my alley, right?
07:06So we basically begged to come and play
07:08the festival.
07:09So we did the show.
07:10It was great.
07:11Just having a little bit of back and forth
07:13through email, we suggested, you know,
07:15would you consider?
07:16Ha ha.
07:17Kidding.
07:18Not really kidding.
07:19Would you join us on stage for a song?
07:21Ha ha.
07:22I didn't mean it.
07:23And he goes, yeah, sure.
07:24I'd come out.
07:25So we settled on Stone Cold Crazy.
07:27Stone Cold Crazy.
07:28You know.
07:31You know, I was not showing it, but freaked out inside.
07:34I was in my hotel room, like, singing
07:36the lyrics 100 times.
07:37So, you know, thinking I was going to forget
07:39one of the lines and stuff.
07:40And he was just, I mean, a champ, you know,
07:43a sweetheart, lovely, lovely man.
07:45So great to get to know.
07:47And such a cool thing.
07:48Queen, talk about another band that a lot
07:50like you guys just knows who they are and,
07:52you know, has always throughout their career,
07:54you know, were who they were.
07:56Oh, for sure.
07:57Yeah, it's so great.
07:58And we got to hang out with them afterwards.
08:00And I mean, just couldn't have been nicer.
08:02Such a great experience.
08:03So cool.
08:04So cool.
08:05I mean, and then I also want to talk about
08:06you mentioned 30 years since Smash's release.
08:09It was a top five album on the Billboard 200.
08:12No small feat at all.
08:13Came out with some great songs from that album.
08:16Now you're in the 30th anniversary of it.
08:18You look back at that album.
08:20What is something that comes to mind?
08:22Yeah.
08:23We're really proud of it, I guess,
08:24is kind of the first thing that comes to mind.
08:26And we feel very, you know, lucky.
08:28I mean, geez, this was, you know,
08:30lightning struck somehow.
08:32We were there, right?
08:33Like, who knew?
08:34That album was made very cheaply
08:36because we didn't have the money.
08:38You know, you've heard the term DIY, right?
08:40Do it yourself, right?
08:41Which people wear that as a badge with pride.
08:43Like, we did this ourselves.
08:44And we did it ourselves, too.
08:46And I am very proud of it.
08:47But it wasn't like a choice.
08:49There wasn't.
08:50We had to make our own t-shirts.
08:51Right.
08:52I mean, we were gluing our own album covers together.
08:54No one else was going to do it.
08:55No label was going to do it.
08:56No one was going to sign us.
08:58No one was going to book our tours.
08:59You know, we grew up that way.
09:01And it was fun.
09:02It was all a big adventure.
09:03Yeah.
09:04So when Smash came along
09:05and we did it ourselves on an independent record,
09:07Epitaph Records,
09:08and it took off,
09:10it was just like,
09:11wow, what's happening?
09:12It makes it particularly special,
09:14you know,
09:15when you have all that hard work
09:16that went into an album like that.
09:18And so, you know, manual work.
09:20Like, you're so involved in it.
09:22So special, I think,
09:23when that's the album that takes off.
09:25Something that you're so invested in.
09:26Yeah, yeah.
09:27And like I said,
09:28it had to take off on its own
09:29because there wasn't a promotional budget
09:31from the label so much.
09:32Not that much.
09:33Not compared to a major label and stuff.
09:35So the fact that it took off organically
09:37and did what it did,
09:38and they tell me
09:39it's the most selling independent,
09:41I guess, rock,
09:42I don't know what the category is exactly,
09:44of all time.
09:45And because no one buys records anymore,
09:47that record is likely to stand,
09:49which is great.
09:50But it's just something that we're really,
09:52yeah,
09:53really proud of,
09:54looking back on.
09:55Yeah, I mean,
09:56clearly well-deserved.
09:57I mean,
09:58is there a song on that album
09:59that you look back at now
10:00and have a different relationship with it?
10:01I think one song
10:02that really comes to mind
10:03on that record
10:04is Bad Habit.
10:05Everyone knows
10:06because of the middle,
10:07the breakdown where
10:08people,
10:09you know,
10:10you say,
10:11stupid,
10:12dumb shit,
10:13goddamn motherfucker,
10:14right?
10:15Stupid,
10:16dumb shit,
10:17goddamn motherfucker!
10:18That was so taboo back then.
10:19Now maybe it doesn't even mean,
10:20I don't know if it's even
10:21that big a deal,
10:22but...
10:23It still is.
10:24I feel like
10:25with everything going on
10:26in the world right now,
10:27I think people want
10:28to scream that.
10:29Yeah.
10:30Yeah.
10:31Well, I mean,
10:32I knew that I loved punk rock
10:33and I love the energy of it
10:34and the aggressiveness of it
10:35and I also knew,
10:36even though I was,
10:37whatever,
10:3828 years old at the time,
10:39I knew that kids loved to cuss.
10:40And I'm like,
10:41I should just have
10:42a little breakdown
10:43where it's just solid cussing
10:44and it turned out
10:45people liked that part.
10:46But I've heard
10:47so many stories now,
10:48especially like 30 years later,
10:49guys coming up to me,
10:50they're,
10:51you know,
10:5240 years old,
10:53they said,
10:54you know,
10:55I used to play Smash
10:56in my bedroom,
10:57but when that part came on,
10:58my parents got me
10:59in so much trouble
11:00because of your record
11:01and stuff.
11:02I mean,
11:03it's such a special thing
11:04to have a piece of art
11:05out there
11:06that people,
11:07like even people in here,
11:08we all have like
11:09a memory associated
11:10with your albums
11:11and it's so special
11:12to be in that position.
11:13Yeah.
11:14That's what's cool too
11:15is as time goes on,
11:16seeing more and more
11:17people coming up
11:18and telling their stories
11:19and I can't tell you
11:20how many times
11:21I hear like,
11:22you guys were my first record,
11:23my first greatest hit,
11:24somebody out there
11:25just,
11:26yeah.
11:27I mean,
11:28it's so special.
11:29What an honor,
11:30you know,
11:31to be so ingrained
11:32in people's lives
11:33when it comes
11:34to something like music
11:35that is so precious
11:36to people,
11:37you know?
11:38It's cool.
11:39It's cool.
11:40It's also something
11:41that you can't see it
11:42at the time.
11:43You just know you're out
11:44and a bunch of other bands
11:45are out
11:46and there are bands
11:47that are more established
11:48in us and bands
11:49that are older than us
11:50and journalists
11:51that are older
11:52and more experienced
11:53and they weren't
11:54always very nice to us
11:55or our record,
11:56you know?
11:57They would say
11:58stuff like that
11:59and like,
12:00it was a tough
12:01interview sometimes
12:02so it's just interesting
12:03how over time
12:04something about it
12:05stuck with a certain
12:06generation,
12:07a group of people
12:08and now it's come out
12:09to end up being
12:10something that is,
12:11I guess,
12:12more highly regarded
12:13than it seemed
12:14to be at the time.
12:15Outside of music,
12:16you are very busy.
12:17You are quite
12:18the renaissance man.
12:19I knew you were
12:20into flying.
12:21I knew you were a pilot.
12:22What I did not know
12:23is that you fly
12:24the band to gigs,
12:25what's wrong with that?
12:26There's nothing wrong
12:27with that.
12:28The singer in the band
12:29flying the band.
12:30I mean,
12:31you are getting there.
12:32I mean,
12:33that's the thing.
12:34I mean,
12:35these days,
12:36relying on planes
12:37is tough.
12:38I mean,
12:39you put it
12:40in your own hands.
12:41I'll get us there.
12:42How fun is that?
12:43Maybe because
12:44this whole band
12:45thing took off,
12:46I have an unrealistic
12:47expectation
12:48of what I can do
12:49or whatever,
12:50right?
12:51But,
12:52you know,
12:53all those crazy
12:54things,
12:55I had to wear
12:56contact lenses
12:57or whatever.
12:58Oh,
12:59okay.
13:00I decided
13:01to do something else
13:02and I went to
13:03university instead.
13:04But I always
13:05wanted to fly
13:06and so when I finally
13:07had the chance to
13:08later on,
13:09after the band
13:10took off,
13:11I started flying
13:12and I just get
13:13a big kick out of it.
13:14I love it.
13:15I have a plane
13:16and we take it on tour.
13:17But,
13:18you know,
13:19I will say,
13:20I always take a pilot
13:21with me on tour.
13:22I don't want
13:23to feel scary
13:24like being up there
13:25and having,
13:26you know,
13:27just this tube
13:28of metal
13:29in the sky
13:30that you're
13:31in control of.
13:32Yeah,
13:33I can see how
13:34there's two things
13:35going on,
13:36right?
13:37On the one hand,
13:38it can seem
13:39exciting and adrenaline
13:40and maybe scary
13:41and I'm way up here
13:42and what am I doing?
13:43On the other hand,
13:44it's very peaceful.
13:45I can see that
13:46being the case.
13:47Almost meditative
13:48in a way,
13:49which is kind of weird.
13:50I love flying
13:51single pilot.
13:52You're interested
13:53in flying
13:54into a promotional thing
13:55for Light It Up.
14:02The song's great
14:03and then you mixed it
14:04with your passions
14:05just blending
14:06everything together.
14:07It just all
14:08came together,
14:09right?
14:10Yeah,
14:11we put out this song
14:12Light It Up
14:13and,
14:14you know,
14:15that's a song
14:16that's very near
14:17and dear to us
14:18because it's kind of
14:19like I call
14:20straight up the middle.
14:21I repeat myself,
14:22right?
14:23But you also,
14:24you got to realize
14:25that people like your band
14:26because they like
14:27a certain sound,
14:28right?
14:29Exactly.
14:30And so,
14:31you're kind of like,
14:32well,
14:33how can I make a song
14:34that still feels good
14:35and feels like
14:36it's not forced to us
14:37but still has
14:38all that energy
14:39and that was kind of
14:40what Light It Up
14:41was all about.
14:42So,
14:43that song was just
14:44about to come out.
14:45I happened to know
14:46a guy with a fighter jet
14:47in Utah
14:48and I said,
14:49can I hop in
14:50and we'll do it together.
14:51That's so cool.
14:52You know,
14:53you know how it goes.
14:54Yeah,
14:55just call up your friend
14:56with a fighter jet
14:57and hop on in
14:58and,
14:59you know,
15:00just start promoting.
15:01Is there a passion
15:02of yours
15:03that you have
15:04that you haven't tapped
15:05into yet
15:06that you're curious
15:07or you're interested
15:08in exploring?
15:09Oh gosh,
15:10I don't know.
15:11I'm always onto
15:12something,
15:13something else.
15:14Keeping it fun.
15:15Keeping it fun,
15:16yeah.
15:17You also have
15:18a hot sauce company.
15:19And,
15:20I don't really have
15:21a good answer
15:22except to say like,
15:23it's fun.
15:24Hot sauce is fun.
15:25Right?
15:26You know,
15:27I don't think
15:28I'd be as passionate
15:29to start a yogurt company
15:30necessarily.
15:31Right.
15:32Not shitting on yogurt.
15:33No,
15:34I'm just kidding.
15:35But,
15:36I mean,
15:37there was just something.
15:38Listen,
15:39I'm a lactose intolerance
15:40person.
15:41I don't think yogurt's,
15:42yogurt's for me.
15:43But,
15:44there was just something
15:45about hot sauce
15:46that always seemed fun
15:47and I grew up
15:48with it.
15:49And,
15:50I think that's a good one.
15:51Have you ever
15:52done hot ones
15:53or would you ever
15:54think of doing that
15:55like increasingly spicy
15:56test?
15:57I would love to do it.
15:58I would love to do it.
15:59We haven't gotten
16:00that one yet.
16:01But,
16:02I think that you
16:03are so inspiring
16:04in so many ways.
16:05What advice
16:06would you give,
16:07yeah,
16:08to people who
16:09have a passion?
16:10I mean,
16:11I don't want to say
16:12just music.
16:13I mean,
16:14because clearly
16:15you've made
16:16many of your passions.
16:17And,
16:18I mean,
16:19maybe that sounds
16:20a little bit trite.
16:21But,
16:22you've got to find
16:23something that
16:24you really love to do.
16:25And,
16:26you should try to
16:27follow your heart
16:28in terms of that.
16:29I mean,
16:30within reason,
16:31I guess,
16:32right?
16:33I mean,
16:34I was pursuing the band
16:35but I didn't expect
16:36it to take off
16:37and that's part of why
16:38I did stay in school
16:39because it's kind of like
16:40I don't want to be
16:41one of those guys
16:42who has to do something
16:43they really don't want
16:44to do for a living
16:45just to barely make
16:46a living.
16:47And,
16:48that's something
16:49that I was devoting
16:50a lot of my
16:51energy to.
16:52With Supercharged,
16:53what message
16:54do you hope fans
16:55get from that album?
16:56We started
16:57as a punk band
16:58and people ask us
16:59are you a punk band
17:00or are you a rock band?
17:01And,
17:02I don't even know
17:03what exactly
17:04the right answer is anymore.
17:05Maybe some place
17:06in between.
17:07But,
17:08you don't ask Pearl Jam
17:09if they're a grunge band.
17:10They're Pearl Jam,
17:11right?
17:12And,
17:13I hope one day
17:14to attain that level
17:16that we were younger.
17:17Like,
17:18you know,
17:19the Sex Pistols
17:20were very,
17:21what I would call
17:22like nihilistic
17:23and the Dead Kennedys
17:24were very political
17:25and somehow
17:26that all fit
17:27under the umbrella
17:28of what punk was,
17:29right?
17:30And so,
17:31for us,
17:32I think the idea
17:33is that you should
17:34always think for yourself.
17:35You know,
17:36don't take anything
17:37at face value.
17:38Don't do something
17:39just because someone
17:40says you should do it
17:41and go out
17:42and find your own path.
17:43And,
17:44I can definitely speak
17:45to that.
17:46I'm such a big fan of yours.
17:47Such an honor
17:48to be sitting with you today.
17:49It was great speaking with you.
17:51And congratulations
17:52on everything going on.
17:53I know,
17:54we're stoked.
17:55It's so cool.
17:56We're stoked.