Rancid

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Rancid are an influential ska-punk band formed in 1991 in Albany, California by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman.

[change] Current members

Tim Armstrong (singer and guitarist)
Lars Frederiksen (guitarist)
Matt Freeman (bassist)
Branden Steineckert (drummer)

[change] History

Rancid were formed in 1991 out of the ashes of out of the seminal ska punk band Operation Ivy, which had broken up two years earlier. Following Operation Ivy's breakup, Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman decided to form a new band, and started a hardcore punk group called Generator, which quickly broke up. They also started two other ska influenced bands, Downfall and Dance Hall Crashers, but moved on quickly from both. In 1991, after Armstrong and Freeman recruited drummer Brett Reed, Rancid officially became Rancid.

Rancid's first official recorded release was a 1992 self-titled EP, which is currently out of print, for Operation Ivy's old label Lookout! Records. Also during 1992, shortly after releasing this, Rancid were signed to Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz's label, Epitaph Records, and finally released their first album in 1993, which is also self-titled. Prior to its release, the band was looking a second guitarist and Armstrong asked former UK Subs guitarist Lars Frederiksen to be Rancid's second guitarist, but he immediately turned down the request. However, after Billie Joe Armstrong (who was in Green Day at the time) declined, Frederiksen changed his mind and decided to join Rancid.

Frederiksen was present on Rancid's second album, Let's Go, which was released in 1994 and spawned the radio hit "Salvation". That year their label-mates, The Offspring, experienced a huge success with their album Smash. The Offspring took Rancid on tour with them, and helped Let's Go make it to #97 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. With the success of the album Rancid were pursued by several major labels, including Madonna's Maverick Records, but the band eventually turned down the idea of signing to a different label and decided to just stay on Epitaph.

Rancid's popularity grew in 1995 with their third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves, which quickly surpassed Let's Go in terms of success. The critically-acclaimed album, also the band's most successful, produced three singles, "Roots Radicals", "Time Bomb", and "Ruby Soho", which all charted on the North American Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, and the band performed two of these songs on Saturday Night Live. ...And Out Come the Wolves has continued to sell consistently well in the thirteen years since its release, and on January 22, 1996 was certified gold by the RIAA. It was also certified platinum on September 23, 2004.

Since the release of ...And Out Come the Wolves, Rancid would became one of the most important punk bands of the 1990s, along with ALL, Bad Religion, Face to Face, Green Day, Guttermouth, Lagwagon, NOFX, The Offspring, Pennywise, Social Distortion (the latter of which Freeman would eventually join and later leave), The Vandals, and many others.