Social Distortion

Over the past 30 years, the punk godfathers in Social Distortion have all but trademarked their sound, a brand of hard rockabilly/punk that’s cut with the melodic, road-tested lyrics of front man Mike Ness. Their searing guitars and a locomotive rhythm section sound as alive today as they did in ’82, as do Ness’ hard-luck tales of love, loss and lessons learned. “The most common thing I hear is, ‘Man, your music got me through some hard times,'” Ness says. “And I just say, ‘Me too.'”

Social Distortion’s patented mix of punk, bluesy rock n’ roll and outlaw country — while also stretching the boundaries of their signature sound is a blend of potent power that appeals to all ages. They are honored to have been able to reach as many people as they have so far. “I write songs for myself, and I hope that other people will like them too,” Ness says. “I think every record you make is showing people what you’ve learned over the past few years. It’s showing people, ‘This is what I know.’ ” Now in their fifth decade, Ness and Social Distortion have officially achieved one of the most non- punk things possible: They’ve failed to burn out.