The Bombpops
The Bombpops are an American Punk Rock band formed in San Diego, California, United States in 2007.[1] The band was formed by co-frontwomen Jen Razavi and Poli van Dam. The band has seen many formation changes since 2007. The band's music is heavily influenced by 90's Epitaph Records and Fat Wreck Chords bands, such as No Use For a Name, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Strung Out [2] and also mainstream bands like Green Day and Blink 182.
The Bombpops | |
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Origin | San Diego, California, United States |
Genres | Pop punk, punk rock, skate punk |
Years active | 2007-present |
Labels | Fat Wreck Chords, Red Scare |
Website | http://thebombpops.com |
Members | Poli van Dam Jen Razavi Josh Lewis Neil Wayne |
Past members | Trevor Robertson Dylan Wade |
History
Formation
The band originally consisted of Poli van Dam (guitar/vocals) and Jen Razavi (guitars/vocals). Over the years, the band has seen many line up changes, having three different drummers and six different bassists before Josh Lewis (drums) and Neil Wayne (bass) started playing in the band.[3]
Van Dam was 13 years old when she met Razavi, who was 18, briefly through friends. They met again years later at a local music studio in their home town[4] where van Dam was playing in an 80's Power Metal band as guitarist and Razavi was invited to play bass. They played together in this band for some time but decided to start their own band since power metal wasn't a music genre they liked. Razavi then started to visit van Dam's house after she would get home from school to play and write songs together. Later, they started to look for a drummer and a bass player to compete at a Battle Of The Bands at van Dam's highschool.[5] Neil and Josh had been friends since they were little and had played in bands together before The Bombpops.[6] But as Razavi says, "we’ve been the Bombpops for about ten years, but we really weren’t the Bombpops until we got these guys in the band.”[7]
Razavi said in an interview that the band name was chosen on a hot day at the drummer's house. An ice cream van was passing by and the drummer ordered a Lickety Lick Bombpop. At first the band was going to be called The Lickety Lick Bombpops but afterwards they decided The Bombpops sounded better.[8]
Releases
The Bombpops released their debut EP Like I Care independently in November 2010.[9] The band released their second EP Stole the TV in October 2011 through Red Scare Industries.[10]
In January 2015 they self-released another EP named Can of Worms.[11] The Bombpops also toured Europe in 2015, performing 26 shows including one with the Gamits.[12][13] The Gamits' frontman, Chris Fogel, would end up producing the Bombpop's debut album.[14]
In April 2016 the band started to record their first full-length album Fear of Missing Out in Denver, Colorado at the Black in Bluhm Music studio.[15] The album came out on February 10, 2017, through Fat Wreck Chords.[16] The band is well known in the Californian Pop Punk, Punk Rock scene after receiving exposure playing with big names such as NOFX, Descendents and Bad Religion.[17]
The band released Death in Venice Beach on March 13, 2020.[18] The album made Alternative Press' 50 Best 2020 Albums list.[19] A review on Wall of Sound found the album to be "dark, edgy, and poignant."[20] Alt Press's review found the "tandem guitar/vocal team of Poli Van Dam and Jen Razavi ... tight and taut. But their gloves-off confessional songwriting (“Double Arrows Down,” “Zero Remorse,” “Sad To Me”) feels like a contemporary reading of the legendary BFF outlaw movie Thelma & Louise."[21]
Discography
- Like I Care (EP) (2010)
- Stole the TV (EP) (2011)
- Can of Worms (EP) (2015)
- Fear of Missing Out (2017)
- First Five Years (Compilation) (2017)
- Dear Beer (EP) (2018)
- Death in Venice Beach (2020)
References
- "By the Barricade". By the Barricade. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "By the Barricade". By the Barricade. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "Allmusic Biography: The Bombpops". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "The Bombpops « Lights Go Out – A punk fanzine from the UK". www.lightsgoout.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- Punknews.org. "Interviews: Jen Razavi and Poli Van Dam (The Bombpops)". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops « Lights Go Out – A punk fanzine from the UK". www.lightsgoout.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "How the Bombpops Landed With Fat Wreck Chords". 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "By the Barricade". By the Barricade. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops - ...Like I Care". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops - Stole The TV". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops - Can Of Worms". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops Announce European Tour Dates - For the Love of Punk". www.fortheloveofpunk.com. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "How the Bombpops Landed With Fat Wreck Chords". 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "Discogs: The Bombpops - Fear Of Missing Out". Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- Punknews.org. "The Bombpops currently in the studio". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops". Fat Wreck Chords. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "By the Barricade". By the Barricade. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- "The Bombpops - Death in Venice Beach". Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "50 best albums of 2020 in alternative, pop punk, metal and beyond]". 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "The Bombpops - Death in Venice (Album Review)". 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- "50 best albums of 2020 in alternative, pop punk, metal and beyond]". 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2020-12-08.