Welcome back to another edition of Havoc Underground's "Album of the Month"! This time around we're very stoked to be featuring the incredible new album from Bad Cop/Bad Cop, "The Ride". We got the chance to talk about the album with guitar player and lead singer Stacey Dee. "The Ride" is the third studio album from Bad Cop/Bad Cop, and was released in June through Fat Wreck Chords. Check out our interview with Stacey Dee below.
HU: First off, thanks for taking the time. We're big fans of this record, and it's absolutely killer from front to back. What's the meaning behind the title "The Ride"?
Stacey: It really means life! On our song "the Mirage," Jennie says, "There is no destination; there is only the ride." When we discussed title ideas that just seemed to sum it all up, this record is a snapshot through the "Ride" of our lives.
HU: Can you tell us more about how the songwriting process went with this album?
Stacey: We took a long time to make this record than our previous ones. I was writing my songs in the van while we were on tour with Frank Turner. I had my guitar in my hands all day every day. I was super inspired and listening to a lot of records front to back. We tend to write the same ways we always have, with guitar and vocal melody ideas until there are some real words and structures. We all kind of helped each other here and there on each other's songs.
HU: Was it different than your previous two full lengths?
Stacey: The recording process was different. Not so much the songwriting process.
HU: This album feels like a lot was drawn from personal experiences and tribulations, how did that impact the album overall?
Stacey: Yeah, it really is an album filled with the things we were going through in life; the lessons we were learning and the things we are passionate about... all wrapped in a message to the listener to help them get through some of their tough stuff.
Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Simple Girl (Music Video)
HU: Being in a band myself, I know how hard it can sometimes be to choose your singles. What made you decide on "Simple Girl" and "Pursuit of Liberty"?
Stacey: It IS hard to pick singles!!! Haha. I went with the consensus from my bandmates and from the label. We were going to release, "Breastless," first. But then COVID happened, and Jennie fought for "Simple Girl" to come out first. I never thought of "Simple Girl," being a single at all. But Jennie couldn't stop talking about it. She loves it and thought it was different and original. Something we had never done before! We eventually had a meeting with the label and with Fat Mike and decided it would be a positive message to put out in the world. He agreed, and so "Simple Girl" was first! We chose "Pursuit it Liberty," as the second single because it is powerful and has a lot of heart! Plus, it's indicative of what kind of songs we are known for. Linh's voice sounds great, and the lyrics are super strong and necessary in these trying times!
HU: One thing we love about this record is how complete everything sounds. Everything "fits" so well. Can you tell us more about how the recording experience went?
Stacey: We took a long time to record the record. Which isn't anything we had ever done before. We started with Davey Warsop on 5 songs, three of which we kept when moving the record over to Fat Mike and Johnny Carey and the Decomposers team. Davey did an amazing job on tracking, "Originators "and "Breastless" and "Community." We kept most of the music from those sessions, only changing a bridge or a few chords. I rewrote a lot of the lyrics for those songs, though. Fat Mike always pushes me with my lyrics. We spent nights over at Johnny's house recording and having sleepovers with Mike and Johnny and Annie, working late into the night, then waking up and starting again over coffee in the morning. We would sing around the piano after a long day's session. It was super romantic and fun. Plus, we had ALL of our dogs in on the sessions. Haha, We put a lot of trust into Johnny. He had amazing vocal and guitar ideas that we loved. He also let us make our songs happen. We got to do stuff we normally wouldn't get a chance to do! It was a lot of fun but also a lot of hard work!! But mostly, it was probably our dogs!
Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Pursuit Of Liberty (Lyric Video)
HU: Any notable guest appearances on any of the songs?
Stacey: YES! Lots!!! Fat Mike, Johnny Carey, Michael "Miguel" Happoldt from Sublime, Long Beach Dub Allstars and Perro Bravo, Baz The Frenchman, The Bombpops, Beebs from Beebs and her Moneymakers and, Yotam Ben Horin from "Useless ID."
HU: Once again thanks for taking the time. When the world gets back to normal, we look forward to being able to see you play "The Ride" live!
Stacey: No problem. Thanks for wanting to talk to us. We hope we can play sooner than later, but not until it's safe for everyone!
There you have it! We have two criteria when selecting our "Album of the Month". #1 it had to have been released this year. #2 it has to be an album that we can't stop listening to. We've been fans for Bad Cop/Bad Cop for years, and "The Ride" is our favorite album from the band. We were very honored to talk with Stacey about this record. Make sure to follow the band if you have not already, and keep up to date with new Havoc Underground stuff on our FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.