The Riptides wish they could quit you (but not really) in their fiery new single Bad Habit — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The third single from the Ottawa band’s most recent album Burn After Listening, Bad Habit is an infectious slice of pop-punk perfection that slams like Green Day but with the heart and hangups of a bruised romantic. With its punchy chorus — “You’re a bad habit that I don’t wanna quit” — this will make you question every decision you’ve ever made at 2a.m. Teenage Bottlerocket drummer Darren Chewka and guitarist Kody jump in on this one, and you can hear the adrenaline in every riff. “Having them on the track was unreal,” the band say. “We grew up on their stuff.”
Speaking of unreal: If the world feels like it’s gone off the rails, it’s because it has — and The Riptides have the soundtrack. Fueled by a pandemic panic attack and loaded with melodies that hit like a right hook, Burn After Listening is the Ottawa band’s most audacious record to date. “This record was born in the weirdest time,” the band shares. “There was so much uncertainty, and it gave us room to really go deep. Lyrically, it’s satire, reflection, and frustration — wrapped up in fast hooks and shout-along choruses.”
Written during the darkest days of lockdown, Burn After Listening is a punk-rock grenade lobbed directly into the absurdity of the world. The Riptides decamped to The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, where engineer Andrew Berlin and mastering legend Jason Livermore (Descendents, NOFX) helped the band fine-tune every jagged edge. The result is a record that’s sharp, shiny, and primed to explode.
Along with those Teenage Bottlerocket cameos, the album features guest vocals from Heavy Kevy of Insanity Alert and Merel from Dutch punk outfit Lone Wolf, adding firepower to tracks like Bottom Feeder and Get Over You. “We called in some favours from friends we love and respect,” says the band. “They helped make this album bigger than we ever imagined.”
In their own words, “Every song has its own identity, but together they make up a record that keeps you on your toes. We still sound like us, but this one pushed us creatively — sometimes into uncomfortable places. But that’s what punk is all about, right?”
And Burn After Listening is punk with purpose — rebellion with a melody and a mission. It’s a middle finger to stagnation and a love letter to those still figuring it all out. “This is us pulling apart the mess and making something loud, fast, and real. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve got killer harmonies and a ton of distortion.”
Check out Bad Habit above, listen to Burn After Listening below, and catch The Riptides on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
