Rancid (band)

Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in 1991 in Albany, California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, both of whom previously played in ska punk group Operation Ivy. The band is credited with helping to revive mainstream popular interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s.

Rancid includes Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert on drums. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. Frederiksen joined Rancid in 1993 when the band was searching for a second guitar player.

To date, Rancid has released six studio albums, one split, one compilation, two EPs, a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on countless compilations.The band rose to fame in 1994 with their second album, Let's Go, featuring the single "Salvation". In the following year, Rancid released their highly successful album ...And Out Come the Wolves, which produced their best-known hits "Roots Radicals", "Ruby Soho" and "Time Bomb", and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA. Their most recent studio album, Indestructible, was released in 2003. The band recently finished recording their seventh album, Let the Dominoes Fall, to be released on June 2, 2009.

History

Early history (pre-1993)

Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman had been playing together in the seminal ska punk band Operation Ivy from 1987-1989. When Operation Ivy broke up they decided to form a new band, and started another ska punk band called Downfall, which only lasted a few months. They then started a hardcore punk group called Generator, which also quickly broke up. They also started two other ska influenced bands, and Dance Hall Crashers, but moved on quickly from both. In 1991 Tim and Matt decided to try starting yet another band. They recruited drummer Brett Reed and formed Rancid.

Breakthrough success (1994-1996)

While Rancid was writing for a follow-up album, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, a friend of the band, joined them to co-write the song "Radio". This led to him playing a live show with the band. Tim Armstrong eventually asked Billie Joe to become a member of the band, but he opted to stick with Green Day. Tim had previously asked Lars Frederiksen to be Rancid's second guitarist, but he also turned down the request. After Billie Joe declined, Frederiksen changed his mind and decided to join Rancid.

Frederiksen played with the band on 1994's Let's Go. That year their then-label-mates, The Offspring, experienced a huge success with their album Smash. The Offspring took Rancid on tour with them, and helped Let's Go make it to #97 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. With the success of the album the band was pursued by several major labels, including Madonna's Maverick Records.

The band eventually decided to stay on Epitaph, and the next year released their third album ...And Out Come the Wolves. That album quickly surpassed Let's Go in terms of success. Three of the album's singles, "Roots Radicals", "Time Bomb", and "Ruby Soho" all charted on the North American Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, and the band performed two of these songs on Saturday Night Live.