The Offspring and Ignition (1988–1993) Īfter recording another demo in 1988, the Offspring signed a record deal with small-time label Nemesis Records. Lilja left the Offspring in 1987 to pursue a medical career in oncology and was replaced by Ron Welty, who was 16 years old at the time. The Offspring also recorded a demo tape in 1986, which received a positive review in Maximum Rocknroll magazine. An earlier version of "I'll Be Waiting" (then known as "Fire and Ice") appeared on the long-out of print Subject to Blackout compilation tap released the same year. They released the single on their self-made Black Label record company, named after the brand of beer. In 1986, after changing their name to The Offspring (after a B-movie called The Offspring: They Were Born to Kill), the band released their first single the 7" " I'll Be Waiting". In 1985, school janitor Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman (also formerly of Clowns of Death) joined as a second guitarist, allegedly because he was old enough to purchase alcohol for the other members, who were under the legal drinking age. Īfter Thompson was forced out, Holland took over vocals and Benton was replaced by Clowns of Death drummer James Lilja. Marcus Parrish briefly joined as a second guitarist however, no recordings were made at this point. Holland changed his role from drums to guitar, and the band was rounded out by singer Doug Thompson and drummer Jim Benton. album Change Today? at a party and following a riot at a 1984 Social Distortion show, they decided to form a band called Manic Subsidal. The foundations for the Offspring began with guitarist/vocalist Bryan "Dexter" Holland (who was a drummer at the time) and bassist Greg Kriesel playing music together in a garage in Cypress, California in 1983. The Offspring has since released five more albums: Conspiracy of One (2000) Splinter (2003) Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) Days Go By (2012) and Let the Bad Times Roll (2021).īassist Greg K., drummer Pete Parada, and frontman Dexter Holland in 2008 The band's fifth album Americana (1998) regained their previous level of popularity, obtaining support from MTV and radio and selling over five million units in the US. The success of Smash attracted attention from major labels including Columbia Records, with whom The Offspring signed in 1996 their first album for the label, Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), did not match its predecessor’s success, but received critical acclaim and gold and platinum RIAA certifications. Smash, which contained the band's first major hit " Come Out and Play", propelled punk rock into the mainstream and holds the distinction as one of the best-selling albums released on an independent record label, selling over 11 million copies worldwide. Īfter achieving a local following with their early releases, including their 1989 self-titled debut album and the vinyl-only EP Baghdad (1991), The Offspring signed with Epitaph Records and released two albums for the independent label: Ignition (1992) and Smash (1994). They have sold over 40 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling punk rock bands in history. The Offspring is often credited-alongside fellow California punk bands Green Day and Rancid-for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the 1990s. Kriesel was replaced by Todd Morse of H 2O, who had been the Offspring's touring guitarist since 2009. Gregory "Greg K." Kriesel (one of the Offspring’s cofounders) was their bassist until 2018, when he was fired from the band due to business disputes, thus leaving Holland as the sole remaining original member. Welty was replaced by Atom Willard in 2003, who was replaced four years later by former drummer Pete Parada. Their longest-serving drummer was Ron Welty, who replaced original drummer James Lilja in 1987 and stayed with The Offspring for 16 years. Over the course of their 38-year career, The Offspring have released 10 studio albums and have also experienced a number of lineup changes, most noticeably with their drummer. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, bassist Todd Morse, and lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman. The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984.