When enjoying in a legendary South Bay punk band is your day job, most individuals seemingly wouldn’t have too many musical facet tasks. However most individuals aren’t Pennywise bassist Randy Bradbury.
Having continuously saved the door open for various bands and genres of music, Bradbury’s latest venture is the Huntington Seashore-based 84 Days. The trio options the veteran songwriter on guitar and lead vocals, Grammy-winning rock producer Cameron Webb on bass and No Doubt’s Adrian Younger on drums (not less than for the self-titled debut album) — and whereas 84 Days’ sound and tempo differs considerably from Pennywise, it’s nonetheless very a lot a punk-leaning rock band.
When requested in regards to the title, Bradbury says, “The time period ’84 Days’ initially began as an inside joke again once I was a young person, however watching the world change a lot it appears to be a becoming description for the way issues have develop into … like one thing I learn in a e-book as soon as. And now we’re in it.”
Although it might appear odd to launch a brand new band after greater than a collective century of expertise within the music business, Bradbury and Webb agree that 84 Days “seemed like an excessive amount of enjoyable” to not pursue. And if their debut present at DiPiazza’s in Lengthy Seashore again in November was something to go off of, it’ll be an excellent time for followers too.
“I believe the Randy Bradbury title is larger than you’ll assume,” Webb says through Zoom. “Folks clearly relate him to Pennywise, however he’s a person that lots of people like — particularly different musicians. Everybody is aware of him and thinks he’s nice, so individuals have simply been actually supportive of the whole lot.”
“I used to be simply ready to see what the response to the songs can be,” Bradbury provides. “I’d say it’s been very optimistic thus far, so I believe we’ll have Inexperienced Day opening for us in a few 12 months.”
Jokes in regards to the new band’s reputation apart, Bradbury and Webb’s years within the business have given 84 Days the sort of platform and connections most bands can solely dream of. Living proof, when Younger was unable to proceed together with his drumming duties for the band’s first stay reveals, Bradbury was capable of recruit his good friend Erik “Smelly” Sandin from NOFX to fill in in the intervening time.
“We’ve each been within the Southern California music scene for many years, so I do know lots of people and made plenty of mates,” Bradbury says. “I’ve saved word of who’re the gamers I look as much as and would like to play with; as quickly as I came upon Adrian wasn’t going to play with us, I knew I used to be going to ask [Sandin].”
“We’re mates with these individuals as a result of I work with them or Randy excursions with them, so we cross paths on a regular basis within the studio or at reveals,” Webb says. “Everybody’s been actually supportive of me, who doesn’t do it every single day. Nobody’s like ‘You shouldn’t be doing that.’ They’re like, ‘I can’t wait to see this’ or ‘You’re going to kill it.’ So it does make me really feel good to see the group be excited for us to play a present.”
However as Bradbury is fast to level out, all of these connections are “contingent on when you’re doing one thing fascinating” and if the music itself is definitely good. Fortunately, between Bradbury’s elite writing chops and Webb’s tastemaking means (as normally seen behind the scenes on different bands’ albums), 84 Days’ self-titled debut isn’t only a enjoyable punk jaunt however a deep look into how the songwriter views the present state of society and the world — together with subjects that wouldn’t precisely match forward of “Bro Hymn” in a Pennywise setlist.
Despite the fact that 84 Days could have been based across the concept of being a “enjoyable” venture for its members, none of them is all for sticking with it if the band itself is lower than stellar. Whereas Bradbury is used to performing for a residing, the looming risk of stay reveals inspired Webb to genuinely apply and tighten his bass abilities, having primarily solely picked one up beforehand to assist in the studio occasionally.
“I seize devices quite a bit, however now I needed to study all these songs and rehearse them,” Webb says. “I’ve obtained to know my s— and play them in addition to the professionals that do it each single day. I would like us to be a killer band, so we’re going to be a killer band. That simply means it’s time to cease goofing round. As a substitute of going residence and watching TV, I’m training. I’m studying elements. I’m engaged on riffs. I’m doing all of that. It’s tremendous enjoyable as a result of Randy makes it an awesome expertise. We’re having an excellent time doing it and the whole lot’s actual optimistic, so we’re going to maintain doing it.”
Just some reveals and one album into their profession, it’s too early to inform what the ceiling is for 84 Days. The duo might see it persevering with to simply play bars and small venues or rising into one thing a lot bigger. Actually, Bradbury laughs on the concept of among the bands he is aware of opening for them — so long as it’s not his new band upstaging Pennywise.
“I believe that that tour would finish with plenty of bruises on my physique and plenty of smashed guitars and basses.”
