Whatever Happened To '90s Band The Offspring?
They're Still Touring
Photo: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.comThe Offspring may be slow to release newly recorded material, but they continue to hit the road in support of their extensive catalog of music. In fact, touring appears to be what's kept the band busiest over the years.
Starting in 1989 and continuing on-and-off until 2019, the band has embarked on a whopping 22 tours - comprised of thousands of live performances.
Dexter Holland Got His PhD
Photo: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.comEnter Doctor Dexter! In 2017, Bryan "Dexter" Holland became a molecular biologist with the acceptance of his USC doctoral thesis entitled: Discovery of Mature MicroRNA Sequences within the Protein-Coding Regions of Global HIV-1 Genomes: Predictions of Novel Mechanisms for Viral Infection and Pathogenicity.
Of the achievement, Holland said in a statement: "My research focused on the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. I am interested in virology and wanted to contribute in some small way to the knowledge which has been learned about HIV and AIDS."
They're Still Making Music
Photo: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.comAs of 2019, The Offspring has released nine albums, and the next one has seemingly been in the works since 2012's Days Go By. In 2015, the band released a standalone single entitled "Coming for You."
Singer and guitarist Dexter Holland told the Mind Equals Blown website in 2017, the group has been "less active on the recording side for the last few years." However, he also insisted, "The band is number one for me and what I am most passionate about."
There Are Rumors Of More Albums
Photo: Sun_Shine / Shutterstock.comIn mid-2018, guitarist Noodles Wasserman suggested there may be two Offspring albums coming down the pike. For fans hungry to hear more of the band's music, this is welcome news and reinforces the group's commitment to continuing to work together.
Of the band's highly-anticipated new music, Wasserman told Music Feeds:
We’ve been working… on and off on this record for five years, really. But we had a real productive string this year, in the earlier part of the year, we had probably five or six songs that we did just right then, and it started to feel like "maybe this is the direction we should be going with this record? A little bit more straightforward Offspring stuff." So, we have a whole record or more worth of stuff here - I think we’re looking at making two records out of it - you know, like, splitting 'em up and coming out with a pretty straightforward punk and rock record that sounds like us, and then maybe saving some of the crazier stuff for another record.
The Offspring And 311 Recorded Covers Of One Another's Songs
Photo: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.comThe Unity Tour and the Never Ending Summer Tour, both in 2018, were joint ventures between The Offspring and reggae rock outfit 311. In honor of the musical partnership, the two bands recorded cover versions of each other's songs.
The Offspring did their take on "Down," while 311 did a rendition of "Self-Esteem." Nick Hexum, of 311, told Billboard: "It was the Offspring’s idea - and a great idea. We were so blown away; it was so fun to hear [their version of "Down"]. So we returned the favor and reggaefied ["Self Esteem"], which is probably my favorite song of theirs."
They Recorded A Song For One Of The 'Sharknado' Films
Photo: ShutterstockIn 2016, The Offspring contributed the song "Sharknado" to the soundtrack for Sharknado: The 4th Awakens. It serves as the movie's theme song. The tune is an homage to The Dickies and their song "Gigantor."
The Sharknado movie franchise has become a campy cult classic, and The Offspring's musical contribution to the soundtrack gave the group a new avenue to get its sound out there.
They Recognize Their Most Famous Songs Don't Sound Like The Rest Of Their Music
Photo: ShutterstockOne of the biggest ironies of The Offspring's success is two of their most famous songs, "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?" sound entirely different than practically everything else they've recorded. The band recognizes - and embraces - that dichotomy.
"I still love all that stuff, man. I mean, we play 'Pretty Fly' every single night," Noodles said to Junkee in November 2018. "It was important for us to have that balance there - songs like 'Pretty Fly' are just as vital to that record as songs like 'The Kids Aren’t Alright' are."
They Gave $1 Million To A Fan
The Offspring engenders some pretty strong feelings among their devoted fans, many of whom stuck by the band after their musical output ebbed. The group appreciates loyalty so much they even gave away $1 million to a fan as part of a promotional contest.
“We wanted to give away something of our own to celebrate having the new record out and give something back to the fans," Noodles later said to Louder magazine. Staged in 2000, anyone who purchased Conspiracy Of One was automatically entered to win. The Offspring guitarist continued:
I thought giving away a million dollars would f*ck that kid up! The winner was a 14-year-old girl from Atlanta. We weren’t even her favorite band! We were her second favorite band, and Slipknot [was] her favorite! And she’s gone! Nobody knows what’s actually happened to her. Maybe she’s run away with Slipknot.
Greg K Is A Father Of Four
Photo: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.comBassist Greg K has made being a father and committed family man the ultimate punk rock move. He and wife Jane have four sons. "It’s a lot of pickups and drop-offs," K explained to the AU Review in 2013.
In 2008, he took a hiatus from touring with The Offspring to be present for the birth of his fourth son.
They Sold Their Catalog For $35 Million In 2016
Photo: ShutterstockThe Offspring guys are millionaires many times over, thanks in part to the lucrative sale of their music collection. In 2016, the band auctioned off their catalog and Round Hill Music placed the winning $35 million bid.
Round Hill now owns the rights to six of The Offspring's studio albums as well as a greatest hits album. "You won’t get a more high-quality catalog than The Offspring," said Round Hill CEO Josh Gruss.
Their Songs Have Appeared In Several Video Games
Photo: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.comIn addition to recording original tracks for movies, The Offspring has also lent selections from its catalog to several video games. Included among them: Crazy Taxi, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, Forza Horizon 3, and SingStar Rocks!.
Several of their hits can be downloaded for the Rock Band games as well.
2019 Marks The 25th Anniversary Of 'Smash'
The 25th anniversary of the Smash release is April 8, 2019. To mark the occasion, The Offspring announced plans to play the album in its entirety during their 2019 tour. Noodles acknowledged it's been a challenge to relearn the songs from their breakout record.
When Smash initially debuted, the band had already released two other albums. This meant the group had ample material to perform at live shows and never had a reason to play all of Smash at once - until now.
