In the 20 years since singer Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz started Bad Religion in Los Angeles, the band have become an American punk institution. They released a string of classic discs on Gurewitz's Epitaph label in the '80s, mixing heavy doses of melody with Graffin's socially conscious lyrics and eventually signing to Atlantic in 1993. They've churned out five discs since then, the latest of which, The New America , has just hit stores. Bad Religion will launch a headlining tour in support of the disc later this summer.
Every year there is a new generation of punkers.
Bad Religion has always been the benefactor of that, because when people discover Bad Religion, they notice an authenticity to the sound and the delivery. That constant rejuvenation of the audience is what's sustained us all these years. Bands with this kind of solid fan base usually find themselves preaching to the converted when they tour, so Graffin welcomes the opportunity to reach a new audience. Not since 1988, when we put out Suffer , have we really had to be torchbearers for our music. This is different, though, because back then we were awakening people who were already punk.