The Interrupters

Rollicking California ska-punk band the Interrupters are West Coast torchbearers for the uptempo variation on the classic Jamaican sound. Combining the taut energy of SoCal punk with the skanking rhythms of contemporary ska, the Interrupters’ potent attack and instrumental strength come from the precision of brothers Kevin, Justin, and Jesse Bivona, with vocalist Aimee Interrupter adding her smart, streetwise personality to the performances. The group banded together in the 2010s and teamed with producer Tim Armstrong of Rancid for 2014′s The Interrupters, an album that harked back to the classic sound of 2-Tone Records while adding modern punk power. They scored a Top Five Alternative chart hit with 2018′s “She’s Kerosene” and have shared the stage with punk icons like Green Day, blink-182, and Bad Religion. In 2021, the group showcased their high-energy performance style with Live in Tokyo! then issued the 2022 studio album In the Wild, an LP that juggled cocky confidence with messages of perseverance.
The bandmembers were already music industry vets when they formed the Interrupters in 2011 after vocalist Aimee Interrupter met the Bivona brothers (guitarist Kevin, bassist Justin, and drummer Jesse) backstage at a show she and the Bivonas’ band the Telecasters were playing. Previously, Aimee had appeared on the Hairspray soundtrack; she sang on Jimmy Cliff and Sublime with Rome records, and released a solo album in 2009. Meanwhile, Kevin Bivona was an in-demand studio engineer, and Justin and Jesse Bivona played in Sugar Ray’s live band.
Working together, they dug deep into their ska-punk roots and soon caught the ear of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, who invited the Interrupters to contribute to his solo project Tim Timebomb and Friends. Afterward, they played live shows with Armstrong and also appeared on his recordings. Armstrong repaid the favor by signing them to Hellcat Records, and the band released two singles in 2013, “Liberty” and “Family.” Both were produced by Armstrong, as was the group’s full-length debut, 2014′s eponymously titled The Interrupters. In demand as an opening act, the group hit the road to play with bands like Rancid, blink-182, and Bad Religion. A song from their album, “Take Back the Power,” was featured in commercials and video games, and played over the end credits of Michael Moore’s 2015 film, Where to Invade Next.
The Interrupters and Armstrong soon returned to the studio to record the band’s second album, Say It Out Loud, which was released in June 2016. They toured the world afterward as headliners and as support to Green Day, as the album reached several Billboard charts, including Heatseekers and Top Rock Albums. The group’s next LP, 2018′s Fight the Good Fight, was again produced by Armstrong, with Tom Lord-Alge doing the mixing. Recorded directly to tape, the set captured the band’s live sound, which had been honed to a fine point by seven years of playing shows. It also brought the Interrupters yet more critical and commercial attention, spawning the single “She’s Kerosene,” which hit number four on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. Soon after the album’s release, the band joined the Warped Tour for the summer; by this time, Billy Kottage, formerly of Reel Big Fish, joined the group’s touring lineup on keyboards. In 2019, the Interrupters delivered a single in which they put a ska-punk spin on the Billie Eilish hit “Bad Guy.” The concert album Live in Tokyo! arrived in 2021 and captured the group during their 2019 appearance at Tokyo’s Summer Sonic Festival. In 2021, the Interrupters played some of the biggest stages of their career when they were tapped to open some stadium shows on the Hella Mega Tour featuring Green Day, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy.
2022′s “In the Mirror” marked the first single from the Interrupters’ next LP, In the Wild. Recorded in a home studio set up in Kevin Bivona’s garage, In the Wild was largely written and recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the songs reflected a mood of resilience and a determination to overcome the odds. Along with an appearance from their friend and mentor Tim Armstrong, In the Wild also included guest spots from Rhoda Dakar (singer with classic 2-Tone band the Bodysnatchers), Alex Desert and Greg Lee (of ska revivalists Hepcat), and U.K. ska-punk act the Skints. The album arrived in August of 2022 via Hellcat. ~ Mark Deming & Tim Sendra