Aside from the Buzzcocks, X and Bad Brains, not too many punk bands have had the sort of longevity that Bad Religion has, with three decades under its belt. Since its 1979 inception, core members Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz have been pushing the boundaries of punk rock, molding it into a modern, more melodic version of the genre. Fifteen studio albums later, just as Bad Religion embarks on its 30th Anniversary Tour in support of its latest release, The Dissent of Man, I spoke with Graffin about ideology and religion.
ME: First of all, your anti-authoritarian lyrics got me through an all-girls' Catholic school, and the nuns really liked your logo. What formed these kinds of ideals for you as a kid?
Greg Graffin: This is a complicated question. I've been perplexed by the origin of my worldview for a long time. That's why I recently wrote Anarchy Evolution, my new book. It's really difficult to figure out how your unique perspective on things developed. Let's just say I wasn't biased by religion, so I had to put together an ideology piecemeal from fragments of science and entertainment.
One of my favorite Bad Religion songs is "Struck a Nerve." Anything striking your nerves today?
I just came off the most successful European tour of our career, relishing being back in the States and gearing up for our visit to Denver. I'll be doing book events as well as concerts, so, no, I guess not really.
I know you did a short tour with Blink-182. When these pop-punk groups started popping up, what was your opinion on them? Did you think they disgraced punk music?
Blink-182 always cited us as big influences on their music, as does Rise Against nowadays. We don't spend a lot of time nitpicking and figuring out what exact elements of Bad Religion can be found in bands we've influenced. We are always grateful that we inspire musicians to make their own way in the new fields of modern music.
After 1988's Suffer and 1989's No Control, your fan base exploded. What do you think it was about those two albums that catapulted your career to another level?
Mostly it was the fact that we refined our melodic sense of punk music, and there were very few bands doing that at the time those albums came out.
The lyrics "My daddy's a lazy middle-class intellectual/My mommy's on Valium/So ineffectual" are kind of prescient, with prescription drugs now being the number-one most-abused substance in the country. What are your feelings on drug and alcohol abuse?
I'm straight-edge, so I've never understood how people can function with drugs and alcohol. But I also know that the drugs today are so potent that they are infinitely more dangerous.
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