Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band”
The last time Good Charlotte visited the UK in 2019, they came in with quite a bang. One solitary UK date at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace, bringing out Architects frontman Sam Carter for a performance of Leech. Six years later, after somewhat of a hiatus, that ‘go big or go home’ attitude will define their present and future, says guitarist Benji Madden.
READ MORE: These are the five greatest hardcore and metal breakdowns according to Drain guitarist Cody Chavez
“We’re making emotional decisions,” he begins. “I would really like to create an environment where we don’t have to take a hiatus. We find a pace [that] people understand. We may not do 100 shows, but if we do 15, you’ll know that we really want to be there. Hopefully everything that we do, going forward, feels limited edition.”
Underlining this mindset is their return to the top of the Slam Dunk Festival bill next May, for what will be their only two dates in all of Europe. This comes after they returned from hiatus with August’s stellar eighth album Motel Du Cap, mixing their signature uber-melodic rock with balladry and unexpected collaborations, including US rap icon Wiz Khalifa.
Image: Jen Rosenstein
Diary Of A CEO
‘Hiatus’ is perhaps the wrong word for Benji and his twin brother Joel (vocals), who have been busy running their management company MDDN, working with artists like Architects, Bad Omens and Poppy. “They’ve influenced us as much as we’ve had any influence on them,” Benji tells Guitar.com. “They’re not running the same race as everybody else, and I think we instinctually gravitate to those people.”
When it came to getting the Good Charlotte train up and running once again, Benji’s added experience – professional and personal – meant the band could operate on terms that simply weren’t available to them in their breakout period, being talked into things by people who “wanted commission” and saying yes to everything. “We’ve got our baby back, and we’re not letting anyone touch it.”
That freedom bleeds into Motel Du Cap, which still packs some punch when it comes to guitar riffs. Take the earworms of lead single Rejects, for example, or the ice-cold swagger to Bodies, which Benji credits to production wizards (and MDDN clients) Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, and Zakk Cervini.
“That song is literally if you let Jordan Fish join Good Charlotte for a day!” jokes Benji. “One of my favourite songs in Good Charlotte history is Keep Your Hands Off My Girl, and we wanted to find a vibe that was the next version of that element.” Benji actually shares a Suhr Modern T with Zakk, one that has been plastered all over recent albums from Bring Me The Horizon and All Time Low, as well as Motel Du Cap, he reveals.
The album’s daring forays into genres including EDM and country means, on the whole, Benji’s riffs play a less prominent role than in greatest hits like The Anthem and The River. Taking inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Prince and Tom Petty, Benji explains that he shies away from finding moments to be a “guitar God”, grounded in the belief that his riffs – however present or minimal – must serve the wider purpose of the song.
“Everyone’s got an ego,” he admits, “but if you are serving the song, that guitar part is going to be memorable. If you are a guitar player, your skills go completely to waste if you’re not working with a fucking great songwriter. Your moment to shine will come in these moments of great songs. Serve the execution of that song, and make it a fucking classic.”
Well said, Benji. To conclude our conversation, we asked him who he thinks are the five most important guitar players in pop-punk, a genre in which Good Charlotte have cemented their place in the history books.
Image: Jen Rosenstein
Joe Strummer, The Clash
“I would probably start with Joe Strummer, bringing punk to the mainstream. I’m not an historian, but there was probably a bunch of music his parents liked, and then he got into some bands that are not mainstream. He did his version of it, and mixed those things, and it was The Clash.”
Eric Melvin, NOFX
“I think about NOFX records, and what they [helped] drive in the world of kids starting bands. They were the quintessential beginning of pop-punk – in the form of what we do – and Blink-182.”
Noodles, The Offspring
“In the 90s, again, I think they had a huge effect on a lot of kids starting bands. People sleep on The Offspring, and what they were in America in the ’90s. Again, taking a bunch of these underground punky influences, and whatever he grew up listening to, and putting it into this radio rock – but it’s still pop punk – pushed the genre ahead.”
Tom DeLonge, Blink-182
“No doubt, he took everyone we just mentioned, but added his own artistry to it, and you can see his development. He brings an artistry, and all those guys do – Travis [Barker, drummer] Mark [Hoppus, bassist], they have this incredible mix of elements that make Blink so relatable for so many people.
“But as a guitarist, I think you can tell he’s a really smart, curious guy. You can tell he’s a really curious guy. He’s a really cerebral person. All the Angels & Airwaves records, but then what he does in Blink, and how it mixes with the other two guys. There’s no doubt he’s one of the most important pop-punk guitar players of all time.”
Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day
“If I have to go number one, it’s Billie Joe from Green Day. They’ve taken pop-punk all the way from clubs to stadiums and now a bunch of pop-punk bands have done – or will do – stadiums. You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band. Green Day will be the [next] Rolling Stones, as they continue on and play stadiums all over the world.
“Again, it goes back to, ‘How can I become a guitar hero? How can I become a guitar player that’s remembered in time?’ It’s all about the songs. Billie Joe has his own feel, and his own journey, too. That would be the poster child to me, because they are a fixture in the culture of what people love and remember and associate with. That makes him a really important pop-punk guitar player.
“And then I would give myself an honourable mention!”
Motel Du Cap is out now. Good Charlotte will headline Slam Dunk Festival on 23rd and 24th May 2026.
The post Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
