Biography
Hailing from Santa Cruz, California, Good Riddance functions as a melodic hardcore punk band driven by political and social themes. Formed in 1986 under the leadership of straight-edge vocalist Russ Rankin, the group has long featured guitarist Luke Pabich alongside bassist Chuck Platt and drummer Sean "SC" Sellers. The outfit issued its debut album For God and Country in 1995 and followed with notable releases such as A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion in 1996 and Ballads from the Revolution in 1998 before disbanding in 2007. Reunion occurred in 2012, after which the musicians delivered the well-received Peace In Our Time in 2015 and Thoughts and Prayers in 2019.
Although Rankin, previously of Fury 66, established the project in 1986 to channel political frustrations, the band only solidified once Pabich joined. Their first 7", Gidget, appeared on Little Deputy Records in 1990. NOFX bassist and Fat Wreck Chords founder Fat Mike later discovered the group. Following Platt's addition, they recorded the intense For God and Country for release in 1995. With their status as a leading Fat Wreck act secured, the band produced the standout A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion the next year. Drawing on pronounced antiwar and straight-edge stances, Good Riddance built a substantial audience within punk circles. Throughout summer 1996 and much of 1997, they toured the United States and Europe alongside Sick of It All, No Use for a Name, and Propagandhi.
Assured of career stability, the musicians returned to the studio for Ballads from the Revolution in 1998. Rankin included an eloquent essay with the album to convey his message through the music. Though other bands had taken similar steps, Good Riddance moved beyond typical new-school punk conventions and evoked earlier protest punk traditions. Their fourth album, Operation Phoenix, surfaced in early 1999, yet Sellers exited late that year.
Good Riddance maintained tours with fellow Fat Wreck Chords artists, first enlisting Lagwagon's Dave Raun as a temporary replacement for Sellers. Raun performed on the 2000 EP The Phenomenon of Craving before Dave Wagenschutz, formerly of Kid Dynamite, became the permanent drummer. Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit followed the next year. A split with Kill Your Idols came before Cover Ups, an album of renditions drawn from Black Flag and the Psychedelic Furs.
The band resumed original material with Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection in 2003, a collection of fierce hardcore statements addressing social, political, and personal topics. After completing a two-week European tour in early 2006, they released their seventh album My Republic that summer, with Sellers back on drums. As outside commitments and family obligations mounted, the members found frequent touring increasingly difficult. Combined with shifting musical trends away from their hardcore style, these pressures prompted Good Riddance to disband in 2007 so they could "walk away from this with a degree of grace and dignity" rather than fade out gradually. Three California performances over Memorial Day weekend marked their final appearances, and Remain in Memory: The Final Show emerged in March 2008.
Rankin, Pabich, Platt, and Sellers declared a reunion in 2012, scheduling appearances at the Leeds and Reading festivals. Over the subsequent two years they assembled the pointed and topical Peace In Our Time, issued in 2015. The charged political atmosphere of 2019 lent additional force to Thoughts and Prayers, the band's ninth studio album.
Although Rankin, previously of Fury 66, established the project in 1986 to channel political frustrations, the band only solidified once Pabich joined. Their first 7", Gidget, appeared on Little Deputy Records in 1990. NOFX bassist and Fat Wreck Chords founder Fat Mike later discovered the group. Following Platt's addition, they recorded the intense For God and Country for release in 1995. With their status as a leading Fat Wreck act secured, the band produced the standout A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion the next year. Drawing on pronounced antiwar and straight-edge stances, Good Riddance built a substantial audience within punk circles. Throughout summer 1996 and much of 1997, they toured the United States and Europe alongside Sick of It All, No Use for a Name, and Propagandhi.
Assured of career stability, the musicians returned to the studio for Ballads from the Revolution in 1998. Rankin included an eloquent essay with the album to convey his message through the music. Though other bands had taken similar steps, Good Riddance moved beyond typical new-school punk conventions and evoked earlier protest punk traditions. Their fourth album, Operation Phoenix, surfaced in early 1999, yet Sellers exited late that year.
Good Riddance maintained tours with fellow Fat Wreck Chords artists, first enlisting Lagwagon's Dave Raun as a temporary replacement for Sellers. Raun performed on the 2000 EP The Phenomenon of Craving before Dave Wagenschutz, formerly of Kid Dynamite, became the permanent drummer. Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit followed the next year. A split with Kill Your Idols came before Cover Ups, an album of renditions drawn from Black Flag and the Psychedelic Furs.
The band resumed original material with Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection in 2003, a collection of fierce hardcore statements addressing social, political, and personal topics. After completing a two-week European tour in early 2006, they released their seventh album My Republic that summer, with Sellers back on drums. As outside commitments and family obligations mounted, the members found frequent touring increasingly difficult. Combined with shifting musical trends away from their hardcore style, these pressures prompted Good Riddance to disband in 2007 so they could "walk away from this with a degree of grace and dignity" rather than fade out gradually. Three California performances over Memorial Day weekend marked their final appearances, and Remain in Memory: The Final Show emerged in March 2008.
Rankin, Pabich, Platt, and Sellers declared a reunion in 2012, scheduling appearances at the Leeds and Reading festivals. Over the subsequent two years they assembled the pointed and topical Peace In Our Time, issued in 2015. The charged political atmosphere of 2019 lent additional force to Thoughts and Prayers, the band's ninth studio album.
Albums
Singles
