We often hear testimonies about bands being “in it for the right reasons”, whilst others are just “sell outs” doing it for the girls, the money and the haircuts. American punk rockers Pennywise are set to leave no doubts as to which category they fall into. They’re celebrating the release of their ninth album by giving it away for free.
The band has signed a deal with MySpace Records, which will see fans able to download the album free of charge from the internet for two weeks, before any physical copies are available on the shelves. Bass player Randy Bradbury says, “It’s a win-win situation…I see it as a way of paying back our fans and showing that we really appreciate all their support over the years.”
However, Bradbury assures their fans that this deal won’t see the end of the long relationship between Pennywise and Epitaph Records. “We are still releasing in Australia through Epitaph and their connection with Shock Records …Epitaph is like family and we will always mean a lot to us.”
For Australian fans, the release comes at the perfect time, as Pennywise is set to come back down under and play a series of shows alongside Bowling For Soup and Sum 41 in April. “We all grew up in Southern California,” says Bradbury. “Australia reminds me of an unspoilt California where everyone just parties and enjoys the outdoors and doesn’t have all of the shit that we have back here.”
