| Years active: |
1991 - Present |
| Genre(s): |
Punk, Ska |
| Label(s): |
Epitaph Records |
| Members: |
Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, Brett Reed |
Rancid is a punk rock band formed in 1991 in Berkeley, California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong (former members of Operation Ivy). Rancid includes four members; Tim Armstrong on guitar and vocals, with Matt Freeman as backing vocalist and bassist, and Brett Reed (b. July 12, 1972, in Oakland, California, U.S.A.) as drummer. After searching for a second guitar player in 1993, Matt met Lars Frederiksen and he was added to the band on guitar and vocals, to round out the line up.
HISTORY
Rancid's musical style blends punk rock and hardcore punk with ska, reggae, rocksteady, and minor elements of dub music and funk. Among mainstream audiences, Rancid are best-known for "Ruby Soho" and "Time Bomb" from the 1995 recording ...And Out Come the Wolves. Rancid's style often draws comparison with The Clash, especially in their albums ...And Out Come the Wolves and Life Won't Wait, the latter of which is sometimes referred to as "Rancid's Sandinista!". This influence is further emphasized by direct homages to the seminal punk rock group in the lyrics to several of Rancid's songs, such as the title track to Indestructible.
Rancid enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the 1990s, with the band touring constantly from 1993 through 1998. They have released 6 full-length albums, along with numerous 7" vinyls and singles. Following the commercial and critical success of Let's Go, which garnered gold status in the U.S. with 500,000 copies sold, the band was pursued by several major labels, including Madonna's Maverick Records. Despite these offers, Rancid chose to stick with independent label Epitaph Records for their first four studio albums. Rancid's second self-titled album was released on the Hellcat Records imprint in 2000; the 2003 major label follow-up album Indestructible was released by Warner Bros. Records where the band continue to be signed.
After Indestructible's release, Rancid went on hiatus. Rancid's members continued work with side projects, though the group did not completely disband.
Beginning March 7, 2006, Rancid played several acoustic sets as part of Hellcat Records' Hellcat Nights concert series at The Echo. This was their first time playing together since the break-up of Tim Armstrong's side project The Transplants. On April 13, 2006, Rancid also announced plans for a worldwide tour beginning in July 2006 and the release of a DVD compiling 31 of their music videos, as well as a tentative release date of Spring 2007 for a new, as-of-yet-unamed studio album on Warner Bros. Records.
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