Spinner

Social Distortion's New Album to Sound Like 'Dead Boys Meets Black Crowes'


Nearly six years after releasing their last album, 2004's 'Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll,' Southern California punkers Social Distortion are "deep into" recording a follow-up, frontman Mike Ness tells Spinner.

"We've just tracked 12 songs this week, and we're going to probably track another five in the next couple of days," Ness says, calling from a payphone on the day before Valentine's Day. According to Ness, the record will be a full-band, full-volume affair, not the stripped-down acoustic album he was rumored to have been making.

"We'd always intended to do a regular album first," he says. "The acoustic thing is just a future project, which I think will be significant and equally important. But as far as the priority goes, it's more important now to get a studio record out that is a regular record."

The album will be Social Distortion's seventh in a career that has spanned more than 30 years. Joining Ness for the sessions are guitarist Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham and bassist Brent Harding, members since 2000 and 2004, respectively, as well as newly instated drummer Adam "Atom" Willard. So far, the quartet has only laid down instrumental tracks, and it remains for Ness to sit down and put pen to paper.

"I have a lot of writing [to do], as far as lyrics go," Ness says. "But we're really happy with the direction that this record is taking, the sound of it. We're recording it really old-school. We went back to tape, old compressors and old microphones, just really trying to fight modern technology as much as possible."

He says the self-produced, still-untitled album, which he hopes to release before the end of the year, will feature the classic Social Distortion sound -- a combination of punk, rockabilly and country, presumably.

"It's funny -- the record reminds me very much of [1992's] 'Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell,' but also I'm bringing elements of early New York '70s punk, influences that maybe haven't come out as prominently in my writing in the past," Ness says. "It's a little more Johnny Thunders. Some of the early first wave of punk was very blues-based rock 'n' roll, but it had this urban snottiness to it."

"So, the record, to me, is almost like the Dead Boys meets the Black Crowes or something," Ness adds.

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31 Comments

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susan

OH YEAH ! SOCIAL DISTORTION ALL THE WAY. THEY ARE THE BEST!.. MY OTHER HALF JUST SAYS "THERE OK" SHIT, WHAT DOES HE MEAN [OK] HE DOES'NT KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY I DO. EVEN MY MOTHER HAD NOT PASSED AWAY THIS PASS JUNE 2010, SHE WOULD EVEN TELL YOU WHAT I THINK OF SOCIAL DISTORTION AND WITH MIKE NESS
WELL, I GOT ONE THING TO SAY TO SOCIAL DISTORTION AND ESPECIALLY TO MIKE NESS, JUST KEEP ROCKING MY WORLD

November 20 2010 at 10:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
seeker

every word, every chord, every solo, every show, every time!mike and da boyz have always taken me thru every dream, thru every emotion, thru every heartbreak, thru every glorious moment and i cant wait to do it again and hear whats next! southside mpls loves social d

June 19 2010 at 6:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RocKat

So that was that blasting rockin sound I could hear coming out of that little brick building in Burbank.

Yah, the one with the pool table inside? I think I need to come inside and listen to this some more.

wow. Rockin stuff

March 14 2010 at 10:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jabber

"Some of the early first wave of punk was very blues-based rock 'n' roll, but it had this urban snottiness to it."

Perfect. If he's referring to bands like the New York Dolls/Johnny Thunders (and we know he is), this album is going to kick ass.

March 10 2010 at 12:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bugeyedmic

It's been too long between albums. It seems a life time since I stole Prison Bound as a kid from the local record shop. Don't worry I've had to buy it since, along with the rest.

March 04 2010 at 11:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
BandSlut

BandSlut SAY: Damn Mike, hurry it out!! We cannot effing wait-- we be seein u behind the bus in Philly ;)

March 03 2010 at 11:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Christian

Great news can't wait! SD favorite band ever.

February 27 2010 at 11:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nacho from Argentina

Amazing, I can't wait.
I went to LA in 1997 to see S.D. and now they come to Argentina.
A dream come true.
Thnx for comming

February 24 2010 at 6:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alcinda

I'm a big fan of Social D. I can't wait hear their new album. Keep writing them songs cause I love you man!

February 23 2010 at 1:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joker

Social D one of the best bands ever,nice to see Mike remembering another great band ,as in The Dead Boys!!!!!!!

February 21 2010 at 3:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply