Interview: Jim Lindberg

So before sharing the interview, a little backstory.

Growing up in Manhattan Beach, CA, Pennywise were local heroes. The punk were synonymous with South Bay punk rock, and the very first concert I ever attended was the 2001 Warped Tour, where Pennywise were headlining with Rancid.

So when I was sent the new album from Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg‘s side-project The Black Pacific, and asked if I wanted to do an interview with him, I jumped at the chance. I listened to the new album and was impressed – this wasn’t just a collection of left-over Pennywise tracks; Lindberg was pushing himself both musically and lyrically on the album. There were tracks evoking classic surf rock, escapist anthems, and even love songs. I was even more excited to speak to him.

And on top of all of this, Lindberg is one of the founders and curators of my favorite music festival, Beachlife (which I’ve covered the last few years). So I knew there would be plenty to discuss. I got my notes together, made sure my microphone and camera were working, and was ready to talk to him.

So things started out a bit rough due to some technical issues, with me unable to hear Jim. We tried out a few other methods, and eventually decided to speak via phone while keeping the digital cameras running. Once this was figured out, we had a great 30 minute conversation, discussing the new Black Pacific album, the different outlook of BP songs vs Pennywise songs, the influences going into it, the upcoming Pennywise shows (like opening for NOFX‘s final performance), Warped Tour memories, some of the punk bands Lindberg is currently inspired by (Turnstile) as well as classic faves (The Replacements), and Beachlife Nights (prior to the line-up announcement). And for Beachlife, he shared his hope of getting Greg Graffin and Mike Ness on the Speakeasy stage, the difficulties of getting a line-up booked, and he even wrote down my suggestion for getting Ray Davies to play the fest (fingers crossed).

We signed-off, and I first checked the audio recorded on my phone. Nothing. For reasons I cannot fathom, the audio recorder picked up nothing! DAMN IT! Well, at least I had the back-up of my wireless mic going into my laptop. Even if the audio was faint, I could always transcribe it…NOTHING. It picked up 0 audio. Not even mine! I was devastated. All my tech had failed. I had no recording of an incredible 30 minute interview with a punk icon.

Thankfully, Lindberg was gracious enough to let me email him some of the questions I had asked him during the interview (huge thanks to him and his awesome PR rep Mike Cubillos!). So without further adieu, my interview with Jim Lindberg!

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Indy Review: Listening to the new album, this feels like the most California album you’ve ever made. How has your home state, especially the South Bay and the bands from it, inspired you as a songwriter and lyricist?

Jim Lindberg: We have all been very fortunate to grow up where we did living every day on the beach and surfing. It’s the home of very many influential rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock bands. I mean The Beach Boys came from here who were rivals with the Beatles as the biggest band in the world in their heyday. So a lot of the lyrics coming out of this area have been all about the hedonism of living life in the fast lane in California and all the good and bad and great that comes with that. If you ask me, the Descendents are the next version of The Beach Boys with distorted guitars and hopped up on too much coffee! 

IR: I feel like when I have always looked to punk bands to provide the rage and the strength to stand against the powers that be, like Pennywise have done so well on tracks like “Fuck Authority”, but here on the Black Pacific album I’m hearing more fear on tracks like “I Think I’m Paranoid” (you’ve said it’s “a panic attack with distorted guitars at 120 Beats Per Minute.”)  and “Won’t Make a Sound”. Would you say that The Black Pacific is a space where you’re more comfortable writing about your fears, and overall writing from a more vulnerable perspective?

JL: I would definitely say that. About four or five of the songs on the first side of the record I submitted to Pennywise a few times, but sometimes, especially the more pop punk songs aren’t going to be ones that Fletcher especially wants to do. He wants to keep it more hardcore, which is fine but every once in a while I’ll bring in one that is a little too far past the target zone for him and I’ll usually say, “That’s fine. I’m gonna put these discarded ones out on my own someday and that’s what I did. I mean, I’m sure he didn’t like a song that said “I’m afraid of the human race” in it because I doubt that’s his worldview, just like sometimes he’ll have a song idea doesn’t align with my outlook. 

IR: I got the sense that there was also a streak of dark humor in some songs like “No Fun” and “Here We Come”. Would you consider these songs to be satirical? Do you feel injecting this wry sense of humor helps to get your message across in a more accessible way?

JL: That’s always been the case of my songwriting. I am always doing a fair bit of razzing of the establishment and the “system” and how it victimizes working people, but I take it all extremely seriously. Look at what these psychotic dictators are doing in the world right now. They are playing gamesmanship with innocent civilian lives. That’s how wars are fought these days, not like in ancient Greece and in colonial times when armies would lineup in a large field and do battle. Now they’re dropping bombs on schools and hospitals. In Ukraine and in Gaza, it almost feels like they won’t be happy until they’ve won the game and killed everyone! So that’s where the song “No Fun” came from. Then with “Here We Come”, if you’re not worried about the potential damage that AI could have to our jobs, our economy, our intellectual property and privacy, and therefore our livelihoods, well, then you’re not paying attention. (…and that goes for you Mr. Music journalist whoever you are! AI can do your job in a second my friend. Isn’t that scary to you?)

IR: Terrifying (or it would be if I earned any money from this haha). On the opposite end, some of these songs are some of the most dreamy and romantic I’ve heard from you. I could never imagine Pennywise playing a song like “Float Away” or “Won’t Let You Down”. Can you talk about the inspiration behind those tracks? Did they feel like new ground for you?

JL: No, not at all. When I pick up an electric guitar I never know what’s going to come out. Sometimes it’s really aggressive and angry, sometimes it’s sad and wistful and sometimes it’s about the inevitability of death or just the joy, sorrow and heartache of being alive. It’s very rare that I think, “OK this is going to be a Pennywise or an acoustic song.” I just write what comes out. The first few songs I wrote for The Black Pacific with Alan were more bouncy, dark, pop punk in the Jawbreaker and Nirvana vibe, and so the lyrics came out of that. I always write the music first and then the lyrics have to complement the mood or feeling of the music, and I’ve been writing this way since I was a teenager. So it wasn’t breaking any new ground personally for me as a songwriter, but it would’ve been for Pennywise and that’s OK that they all didn’t want to go that direction. I’m not gonna force them to record a love song to my wife. 

IR: You’ve mentioned that most of the songs on this album come from hundreds of demos and ideas you had. For the ones that didn’t make this album, do you foresee them as future Black Pacific songs, Pennywise, or potentially another solo album?

JL: I want to keep on writing and recording all the songs that I have been holding onto for literally decades. Now that I’ve found a great guy like Paul Miner to record with I am going to record everything I can before I’m too old to do it anymore. I can’t say what’s gonna happen as far as Pennywise recordings go. I’ve been trying to get us back into the studio for years and that’s partly why this album came out. I was tired of waiting.

IR: When the first Black Pacific album came out, you had left Pennywise, and it seemed to spark some bad blood between you and your old bandmates. Since rejoining Pennywise, is that all water under the bridge, and have they been supportive of your other projects like your solo album and this?

JL: Next Question. 

IR: With Pennywise, you have a long history with Epitaph (with Pennywise and your solo album), though you released the first BP album on SideOneDummy. Why did going with Dine Alone Records feel like the right choice for this new Black Pacific album?

JL: I just wanted to go completely out of the box from what would be expected and be able to do it all on my own without there being any baggage with a label too close to our band. It was really this simple. I really like this band called the Dirty Nil, I looked at what label they were on and then saw that they also had City and Colour who I love and so I knew they had a lot of variety on their label and so I reached out to them and were willing to put it out, and they’ve been very great about the whole thing. Very chill.

IR: On top of all the music, you’re also a founder and curator for my favorite festival, Beachlife (and the two-day Beachlife Nights fest this fall). How is the booking and planning going for the 2025 show?

It’s a lot. There are so many bands out there and so many festivals and so much traffic in the music world right now it’s hard to book bands with so much going on. I have a wish list of bands that I’d like to be on the festival, and it’s really cool to step outside the punk rock box because I am a huge classic rock 70s fan, 80s new wave fan, rockabilly, reggae, funk, jazz, country and everything in between fan. I like it all and so it’s not as pigeonholed as trying to strictly punk festival. We’ve had everyone from Willie Nelson and Brian, Wilson to Gwen Stefani, Weezer, and Cage the Elephant, alongside Joey Cape, Kevin Seconds and Jon Snodgrass playing our Speakeasy punk rock acoustic stage. I love that part of it, keeping this huge variety.

IR: Who are some of your dream “gets” for the fest?

JL: Well, we just got Devo so that was a huge dream. Off the top of my head, I’d love to get Blondie, Social Distortion, Elvis Costello, ELO, The Cure, Squeeze, Hoodoo Gurus, LCD Soundsystem, Turnstile, Phoebe Bridgers and Father John Misty. Oh, and if we could get The Smiths to reunite, I wouldn’t turn that down! Someone get Johnny and Mozza on the phone! 

IR: Great list! Looking back at your music taste when you first started Pennywise, what would young Jim think of the line-ups you’ve put together for Beachlife? Would he have been as excited to see Seal and Sting as he would The Last?

JL: I was an absolutely huge fan of The Police and so were me and all my friends. For some reason, the combination of reggae and new wave was perfect for us surfers especially. It was kind of like amped up reggae and the musicianship is just crazy. So I was really happy to watch Sting play and he absolutely crushed it. Also as a festival booker you have to play to your audience. We’re a Beach community with lots of families and I know personally that the moms hold the purse strings, and that’s why we get some great artists that may not be in my exact hardcore punk wheelhouse, but the Chardonnay moms want to have their fun too! Seal put on a great show and everyone was happy. 

IR: Of your peers in the punk rock world, which of the groups are still inspiring and driving you to push your craft forward?

JL: Bad Religion, The Offspring, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Lagwagon, Strung Out, The Vandals, all the bands we came up with that are still doing it and playing better than ever. 

IR: Pennywise has a full touring schedule lined-up for the fall. Any shows specifically you’re looking forward to?

JL: As far as looking forward to any shows, how about the one tonight? I’m always looking forward to the next one! 

IR: As someone who is most well known for a song called “Fuck Authority”, as a parent/band leader/festival founder, do you ever find yourself worried you may become the authority you’ve always railed against. 

JL: Yes, definitely. It was that way with my kids. I’ve always had a very complex relationship with that song from the minute Fletcher first played it for me. It’s been interpreted many different ways. To me it’s about fighting against tyranny and corrupt authority and it’s not meant to be a big middle finger to everything in the world. I know some really great police officers and military men and firemen that are heroes. And I also know a lot of really great parents and I tried to be one of them. So I don’t think that song should be taken as a blanket reputation of every sector of society. The song was first written by Wasted Youth, and they were dealing with cops beating up punk rockers with billy clubs for having Mohawks. That kind of abuse of authority should get the middle finger, but if you are under 18 you should probably brush your teeth and go to bed when your parents tell you to.  ; )

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Huge thanks again to Jim for taking the time. You can get tickets to Beachlife Nights and Beachlife Festival here, see where Pennywise is playing here, and check out the new album from The Black Pacific!